The Earth Guardian
by carrieboohere
Summary: Natsuki Hanae: An heiress of a lost clan. Shiro Fujimoto: The man who took her in for his best friends; her parents. Now, 13 years later, Natsuki will continue Shiro's will with Rin and Yukio, taking on Satan headfirst. Secrets are kept, friendships fall apart, what will become of the girl who has held in the darkness inside of her when these Exorcists enter her peaceful life?
1. The Earth Guardian

Nat's POV:

I looked sadly at the familiar trees sweeping farther away from me, as the small limousine whisked past my old home. Ever since Shiro Fujimoto died, my foster brothers , Rin and Yukio, went to this school that was for teaching exorcists. I waited on my decision, though Rin and Yukio both encouraged me to. After a few months, I finally gave up from their urging and agreed.

"Shiemi will show you around, since you wish to become Tamers." The strange clothed man started with a mischievous tone. "Though I would think an exorcist-also a sword wielder- would become a Knight."

I placed a hand on my belt that the sheath of my sword hung on, uncomfortable but slightly sooted that my sword was still with me. I mumble to myself incoherently, biting my lip as the remnants of my home were replaced by a grand city, many children and adults bustling around the wide streets.

"Why do you need to come, you ask?" He asks, his face a few inches from mine, making me frown, shifting back so my shoulders pressed into the plush of the back of the seat.

"I-I didn't say anything." I sputtered, my cheeks flushed from embarrassment.

"Ah, but your face shows everything." He chuckles, leaning closer again. "The reason why is to protect your 'brothers', isn't it?" He smiles lightly like the Cheshire cat. It made me cringe, but I sustained the urge. "Because you're also powerful of many sorts, and you need a home, after your harsh missions and that 'incident' with your foster father. I know what you are. No other creature on this planet has those eyes." He smirks lightly, gently poking my eyelids. I winced, pressing back against the back of the car's seat. I squirmed, my cub sleeping soundly on the seat next to me.

"Who's my team, anyway?" I questioned, curious but wary.

"Ah, you'll meet them soon enough. Even so, you'd recognize them from a million miles away." He answered immediately.

My eyes narrowed at his comment, but softened as I just nod. "...Fine." I sighed a little, and leaning back, fiddling with the headphones rested on my neck. After a minute or two of silence, the car stopped abruptly, sending me tumbling forward into the man, but was steadied again.

The door opened widely, showing a boy around 16, with dark hair and navy blue eyes. My eyes started to twinkle, and I smiled widely. So that's what he meant. "Rin." I whispered, and looked up at him and smiled. He grew.

"Hey! I'm Rin, who-" His eyes met mine, and his navy blue irises widened, then softening with happiness. "Nat… Onee-chan!" He cheered, tackling me in a hug. My eyes widened, and I smiled wider, hugging him back for a moment before he was pulled back by another boy, who had a blonde streak of hair, almost like tongues of golden fire.

"Baka! Don't crowd her, she may want personal space!" He scolded, and I peeped out of the car, my golden green eyes searching for Yukio.

My cub trotted out, before meowing annoyed, climbing up my arm to my shoulder, nestling into my dark curls. I scanned the group of teens with my eyes, noticing how some immediately tensed up, when one trotted over and draped an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey," He said, in a slightly seductive voice. "The name's Shima. How 'bout we go talk about ourselves over lunch, heh?" He offered, and my face started to darken until my cheeks were a dark crimson.

"U-um...I think...um…" I started with a dry throat, never really familiar with flirting and affection other than with Rin and Yukio. The man never told me we would have _these _kind of weirdos on my team. Didn't they have someone to keep them in line? All I could see was a bunch of children scattered all over the street like it was a playground.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" He asked softly, his head butting lightly into my cheek. I blushed more, a hiss starting to form against my teeth, but a girl with black ponytails stormed over, slamming a hand across his cheek.

"You're such an idiot, hitting on the new girl! What are you, a pedophile? She doesn't know you! Do you even know how old she could be? She could be ten for all you know, asshole!" She screeched at him, making him fall back until his back hit the floor. Rin snickered, while Shima pouted, smirking up at the girl.

"Aw, is someone jealous?" He taunted with a smile.

"Shut up, pedo!" She retorted, before turning to me with a frustrated expression.

"H-hi. I am Nat." I introduced myself quietly, my hands fiddling with the hem of my uniform skirt. She nodded, and drew her eyes up and down my slim figure, before giving a hint of a smile.

"Kamiki." She stated sharply, and glared at the guy who was still bickering with Rin. "Shiemi! Get your butt over here and stop making googly eyes at our teacher!" She shouted over to a blonde girl in a kimono, which seemed very unfamiliar. The last time I saw a kimono was on my mother, when I was much younger.

I watched as the blonde came over tentatively, and then stiffened as she enveloped me in a warm, welcoming hug. "Ohayo. My name is Shiemi Moriyama. It's nice to have another girl here, besides Kamiki-san." She said politely, bowing in front of me after quickly letting go.

I bowed back to her, and introduced myself. "I am Nat," I looked over at Rin, and the other boy had him in a headlock, noogying his hair. Shiemi and Kamiki also looked over, and Shiemi giggled a little while Kamiki face palmed herself.

"I'll be back." She scowled ,before Shima came back, looking at me curiously as his eyes roamed over my figure; I wasn't much, only 5'4 inches, with a mane of dark hair and tanner skin than my two brothers. I had bright eyes, and freckles that were from the sun's rays beating on my face from when I was little. I guess I was an abnormality of appearances, because some people would glance over when I was first taken in by the ex-Paladin.

The pink haired boy was starting to make me feel a little uncomfortable, because he was staring at the top of my blouse, where an obvious patch of wrinkles and bagginess of fabric was. Before I was able to actually stop his ogling, a short, adorable looking boy with big ears trotted up to me, the other boy who was at least twice his size getting dragged along.

"Shima-san, why didn't you introduce us?" The short boy complained, a shy smile on his cheeks. My cat peeked out, and started to mew, smelling something that went to her tastes. The boy smiled, and held out a cat toy for her. She mewed and jumped into his arms, making him laugh and smile, playing with the cat. "I am Konkemaru Miwa, and this is Ryuuji Suguro, though he prefers Bon." The elf-like boy introduced, and smiled. I smiled back, and bowed, blushing faintly.

"I-I am Nat." I smile and bow again, my dark curls tumbling down the sides of my neck and down to my thighs. The boy with golden hair down the middle of his head nodded, crossing his arms.

"What would you like to be?" He asked gruffly. Looking at him, I frowned a little, fiddling with my fingers. What would I say to _that?_ I didn't know if he meant in real life, like as a cover up, or as in our lives here, in the supernatural world? Even more so, I considered the man's warning of what he said before I opened the limousine door.

"_Don't spill all of the beans, otherwise your fate'll come quicker!" _

Keeping this in mind, I gnawed on my bottom lip, the already chapped lips meeting the mercy of my teeth as I bit down. I finally came to a decision; hopefully, this wouldn't anger the Demon King. "I-I would like to become a Tamer, but also a Knight. Maybe if I'm successful enough, I'll become a Doctor." I murmur, surprised at my words, especially of the bitter taste of lies on my tongue. I meet his eyes, my golden flecked green eyes meeting his deep brown eyes to search for doubt, any negativity at all, and smiled a little more, seeing none. They seemed familiar. Shiro and I would go on trips to temples in Kyoto, and I played with a few boys who looked sort of like them.

"Anywho, Shura-chan said we would have a mission tonight: In order for Nat to show us her skills, she must go to a ghost in the boys' dormitory restrooms." Shima's voice interrupted the conversation between the two of us, and so I bristled slightly, sighing softly as I recognized the voice.

Hearing the familiar name ring in my head, I kept down a smile of satisfaction to know that _she _was on my team. At least I wouldn't be alone on this. Even so, why the _boys'_ bathroom? If it was for the boys, then wouldn't they go? When Yukio first joined this, they didn't do any 'mission of evaluation'. "A-alright." I nod and try to smile a little more.

"It appears in the hallway that joins the two dormitories, leading the victim to where they disappear, and only appears in front of lone females. We've detected a pattern of the locations, and so the next one will be in the boys' dormitory. So, since you're new and needed to be shown your skills, you'll be put to the challenge. We'll be there but it won't see us." The fiery haired woman instructed, spotting me as I started to pad over to the old boys' dormitory, and I nodded slowly. She and I shared a glance, as if saying, 'Don't screw this up for me'.

I sigh softly; people were putting too much on my shoulders. Not that I should complain or anything. "Izumo can show your room." She also said, and I smiled a little. I nod, and start to head towards Izumo, seeing she got the message, huffing and turning on her heel. I obediently wait for a response from her, seeing that she wasn't very happy of showing newer kids around.

"This way then." She states with a hmph, and I nod before following her.


	2. The First Mission

Nat's POV:

At my dorm, there was an empty space, and my cat mewed before making herself at home on a cat bed that seemed strangely familiar. Taking a sniff of the aroma in the room, I let out a soft gasp. It smelled like pumpkins and cinnamon, like my room. I looked at my bed, which had the same plain bedsheets, with a corner desk with a picture of: a small girl and her family, a slightly older girl with a snow leopard cub, and a picture of her with three boys and and an old man. I sighed a little, picking up a picture of Shiro and I when I was about ten years old.

"Um, Nat-san?" A few knocks of the door shook me from my thoughts. "I-It's almost time for the mission." A meek voice claimed, and I nodded before setting the picture back on the wall of the desk, tidying up my desk before starting for the door. I peeked my head out and smiled a little at Konkemaru, the person at the door.

"T-thank you for getting me." I bow to him, and smile. He smiles back, and starts to lead me towards the rest of them, and I start to stretch, looking at them. I go towards Rin, and smile faintly. "So I have to exorcise this demon that's in the boys' bathroom alone. Alright." I nod, and try to smile.

I hear rustles, and start to walk into the bathroom, slowly and awkwardly passing the urinals. Sure, I'd seen them before, babysitting and other jobs assured that, but I never really got used to it. I knocked on each stall, and found the fourth stall locked. I knocked on it gently, then frowned before stepping back, hearing a raspy voice.

You seem like good prey, a good girl who has no one to help, and a good looking one, too. A long sigh of frustration and disgust is released from my mouth as I start to step back, knowing most of the rules of ghosts; most have the ability to go through walls and can grab you if you weren't careful. I look straight at the stall door, then focus, turning my head to the crack, wincing as the ghost jerked himself to be shown at a good view there.

"Sir? May I ask you something?" I ask softly, and the door starts to turn from red to clear, and the door bursts open, slamming into my face. I've received many doors to the face, thank you, but a boys' bathroom one was a new one.

_Oops,_ the voice cackled, and I took a step back, rubbing my head while keeping one eye open as best as I could. My brow throbbed and my cheeks were flaring a bright red with embarrassment; I knew that I was supposed to be weak as a 'lone girl' who was just a mere schoolgirl, but this much… this much was slightly insulting.

"What're you talking about? I rode horses and they trampled me since I was little. You barely scratched me." I chuckle breezily as I try to act casual, and blow some hair from my face. I look to see the mass of blackness and what looked like tentacles that sprouted from the bloody man, and I looked at him. "Why are you so mad? It's sad, really.

_You don't know shit, girl. I take my anger out on people like you. C'mere, now._ It hisses, and I only look at him before stepping forward before holding out my arms. If my body was what it wanted, then he would be deeply disappointed.

"Why don't you take a hug? You seem like you need it. Whenever you try to talk or to see someone, they'll get scared of your appearance, and run away. That's why you want affections from us women, and that means...that...stuff…" I trail off as I knew people were watching, and look back at him.

Seeing that my arms were open, he takes the opportunity, slowly and cautiously went into them. "It's okay. You'll find love soon. I promise." I state softly, and he looks at me. I tried not to feel his tendrils of darkness slither around my waist. Even though I feel the tendril crawl under and up the back of my shirt, I only let my fingers gently curl into fists on his glob of blackness.

_Can you-can you be it? Can you be my love?_ He pleads, and his tendril snakes up my shirt and stops in between my shoulders. I shiver and squirm, but keep calm and shake my head, glancing slightly over his shoulder, where a tuft of bright bleached hair could be seen from the group who were amateurishly hiding behind the door.

"Gomen. But I can't. It wouldn't work out anyways. But we'll be best friends when you go to Heaven." I smile slightly; even if he were to go to heaven, who knew when I would-if I could?

_You-you believe I can go to heaven?_ He starts surprised, and I nod my head, smiling.

"Of course. Everyone has good in them that they can show." I smile, and he starts to crumble into dust and shadows. I let go of him, so I take a step back, dusting myself off with a calmer look as I let the tension in between my shoulders drop.

_Remember that promise…_ He states with a smile, and I smile back.

"I won't." I smile and wave. I turn to see them with confused looks, and I smile a little. "I guess that I didn't need to use my sword." I murmur, embarrassed. My cat jumps from Konkemaru's arms into mine, and I smile and kiss her head.

"That was incredible!" Rin exclaims, shaking my shoulders, making me laugh nervously. Seeing the big grin on his face, it reminded me of when we were younger. I was glad that he was able to smile the same now; I never thought he could ever since Shiro. That was a stupid assumption, considering that we went separate ways for a year.

"Thank you." I smile shyly, and look at Yukio and the others. "D-did I do any good?" I ask softly. I turn to the woman with reddish golden hair, and she nodded. The obvious relief in her posture showed that I was in the clear, and so I just wiped some sweat from my brow, Rubbing at my chest, the cool metal of a golden locket scratched against the skin of my chest, where my heart beat leisurely.

"You're a very smooth talker." She chuckles lightly. "So I see you want to become a Knight and…"

"And Tamer." I state softly, pointing to the snow leopard cub who huffs lightly. The cub hated being ignored; she was like my opposite. If she wasn't as well trained as I got her to be, we would've failed at many of the other jobs we had done together.

"Interesting." She murmurs, and nods twice before Yukio smiles a little at me.

"It's been a while since we've last seen each other, Onee-" He was cut off by a sheepish smile, his reputation snagging in his sentence, so he quickly ends with a meek "-Nat," before looking at the ground, a feeling of self-consciousness obvious in his expression. Noticing this, along with the confusion swarming the other classmates, Rin grinned and pounced on me from behind, wrapping his arms loosely around my shoulders, his chin rested on my shoulder.

"Nat is my Onee-chan!" Rin half-explains, making the others even more confused.

"Baka!" I smile and gently nudge him away. "G-Gomen. What he means, is that I was raised by the same family as Rin and Okumura-san." I smile a little. "S-so we're more like foster siblings." I grin a little, liking that alias. It was better than my other one. That one, I'd wish many would forget. Rin chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Potato, potata. Still the same thing. So you're still my Onee-chan." He smiles cheekily, and I can't help but smile back.

"A-alright…" I smile. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to look at Bon. My cheeks flush and I smile a little.

"You're good with your…Tamer skills." He smiles faintly and I smile back sweetly.

"Thank you, I wish I'd see everyone else's skills, but that'd be hopefully for a different time. Well, goodnight!" I call, bowing quickly before turning on my heel and jogging towards the other two girls.


	3. Memories

Bon's POV:

I looked at the girl, long after she turned her back on us, and her long dark streak of hair disappeared behind the corner. Shima nudged my side, making me look over at him. "Hm?" I started with a glare, and he chuckled.

"You like her, don'tcha?" He teased, making me growl a little at him.

"Baka!" I quickly protested, making him snicker.

"Bon's growing up~" He cooes, wiping away fake tears. He patted Konkemaru's head, much to his protest. Even so, the two had fun making rude comments about my weird behavior. They always did this, however, no matter how annoying it was, I was secretly glad that I had such a carefree environment and atmosphere. It was much better than the scolding and sophisticated, teaching one of the shrine. Much, much better.

"I am not!" I scowl, and cross my arms.

"He's getting embarrassed! It's so kawaii~" Shima smirks, and dabs his eyes. Konkemaru laughs, and smiles cheekily, seeming to have much amusement to Shima's words. "I'm surprised you'd get a thing for her so fast," He mused, and chuckled when I started to twitch from annoyance. I take back what I thought in the first place. Studying is certainly much more fun.

"S-She just looked familiar, okay?!" I growl, and they chuckle.

"Sure." Shima states, not one bit convinced. What was so important that I liked this girl? I just met her, it doesn't matter whether or not I liked her personality or anything, it just had a- a spark. I don't know, I'm not some sap, I'm just thinking of something stupid. God, how'd I even get that idea?

"Seriously!" I mumble to myself, jabbing my fingers into my forehead to rub my temples. "Jeez." I scowl, frowning. "She reminded me of the girl we used to play with when we were little. She looked like her, that's all." I shrug it off easily, but I couldn't help but feel a small twinge of unease from that statement. If I was lucky, they wouldn't try to ponder on it, but considering myself and my fucked up luck, then I knew immediately they'd try.

"What was her name again? Natalie...Nat-chan...Natsie...Nat!" Konkemaru exclaims, and smiles widely. "It's her! It's Nat!" He smiled and looked at me. "And didn't you propose to a girl to make her jealous because you liked her?" He partially teases. I growled lowly at him, my cheeks reddening. Hopefully, neither Rin &amp; Yukio would hear. Even if they didn't hear it, there'd be endless teasing from the two childhood friends of mine.

"You proposed to Onee-chan?!" Rin yowls, perking up as he started to unsheathe his sword, his eyes wide and his look menacing. Overprotective much? "How dare you-"

"Nii-san, no!" Yukio cut in with a sharp voice like a blade, but he noticed what the question was. "Y-you hit on Nat?" He asks slower, his eyes narrowing and his hand reaching for his gun.

"N-no! Why would I?!" I blush more, knowing that I would probably have to kiss-ass to get back my good grades. I glare at the two boys who started the chaos, though they sniggered with snorts and giggles, backing away quickly, as if they weren't a part of the conversation.

"Let's go to bed, Konkemaru." Shima suggested, motioning for him to follow. Konkemaru nods, on the pinkette's heels as they started out of the bathroom, the room still smelling like octopus and the body odor of sweat and blood. I snort, and go after them as fast as my legs could carry me to my dorm; I knew that I was worse than dead by now.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I wake up, my legs tangled in the sheets and my fists clenched into the sheets. I sighed, wiping some sweat from my brow. It was just another dream… I think to myself. Though it seemed so real.

I sigh, and look down at my hands. I try to unclench them, and walk over to the desk in the corner of my dorm, the pictures on the wall glimmering lightly. I pick up the one with the three boys, and sit down on my windowsill. I climb out of it and sit on the ledge, and look at the pictures for a while. After a while, maybe about 10 minutes or so of pure thinking and tugging on the end of my braid, I get up, and start to climb up the ladder from my dorm-which was on the top floor, much to my distaste- up to the roof. I sat down against the wall of the building that connected to the dorms, and looked down at the photos in my hands.

I looked at the boy in the middle, and my cheeks flushed a little. He had shaggy dark hair, and dark eyes. He seemed like the boy with flames down the middle of his head, and multiple piercings in his ears and stubble on his chin and a goatee. My cheeks flushed even more, until they were a light red. I covered my cheeks with my hands, and blushed even more. W-Why was I thinking of him like that? I asked myself, and squealed slightly like a piglet in distress. I wasn't supposed to be trying to get a stupid date for any dances, I was supposed to protect my brothers and watch over them. I didn't have time to diddle dawdle about some guy who I might have known as a child. Besides, the past is the past. I shouldn't care about it at all. I was such a hypocrite.

I looked back down at the photos, and smiled faintly, rubbing my thumb over the younger girl and the man with glasses, who was also wearing a formal suit and had two other boys. One had his two fingers up like a peace sign, and had his arms around the girl and the other boy who had glasses and a shy, timid look was displayed on his face. The girl had a small, half hearted smile, and bright, intense eyes that seemed happy, but if one would look closer, her eyes held a sadness that could be easily seen.

I sighed, and felt someone's hand on my head all of a sudden. I yelped, quickly jumping back, my hand on my sword. I had the blade strapped on my belt, to make sure to have a weapon if I ran into trouble. I looked over at my right, and sighed in relief when I saw Shima. "W-what are you doing up so late?" I start softly, worried that he could've been an intruder or someone who would've attacked me, if not someone else. "Were you able to sleep at all?" I then ask, my voice lacing with concern and curiosity at the same time, though I knew that it was rude.

He chuckled softly, looking at me amused. I huffed slightly, and looked over at him. "Don't worry, I was just getting up to try and wear myself out again." He smiles crookedly.

I grin slightly and nod. "That's good." He nods brightly, looking over at me. I quickly look down to where my pictures were slightly bent on my lap from gripping them too hard, and so I just play with the frayed edges.

"Did you?" He asked after a few moments of silence. I shake my head, letting out a sigh.

"No. I don't typically sleep well at night." I mumble, and sigh a little. He nods, slightly understanding. Or was he trying to let the information sleep in, of the words I was spouting unwisely to someone I had just met.

"Hm. I usually have different problems, trying not to sleep." He chuckles at my flushing cheeks. He smiles, and looks back at me. "What was the problem? Nightmares? Or someone else?" He smiles cheekily, and I can't help but smile back. I hold up the photo of the girl and the three boys, smiling a little more. He looked over my shoulder, a little curious. "Hm? Who's this?" He clucked his tongue, and rested his chin on my shoulder, making me blush out of embarrassment and part annoyance, the cheeky action almost earning him a slap to the face.

"W-well...it's friends I had when I was little." I murmur, rubbing my thumb over the girl and the children next to her. She was kneeling on the ground, a cheerful and youthful smile on her face with her hands tangled in the hem of her dress. Her dark hair tumbled down to the bottom of her shoulder blades, and one kid had a grasp of it, tugging on it teasingly with a snicker. I remembered that vividly. It seemed like yesterday, though the child and I were still the same. Mature, smiling, yet there was sadness in her eyes. I held the photo in my hands, and smiled more.

"Those were nice times, Nattie-chan." He smiles at me, just like the boy on the girl's left smiled at her. After a few times of exchanging looks between the boy in the picture and the boy next to me, I frown.

"Y-you...you...what?" I manage to stammer out, my eyebrows furrowing with confusion. The boy only grins, pointing pridefully to the smaller boy with his hand tangled in what was my hair back then. After a few moments of thought and analysis, I only shake my head, my hand gripping at the tip of my hair. "Sorry. I can't remember a boy with pink hair." I sigh softly, and look up at him. He has a look of playful horror on his face, and so he holds his chest, like I had impaled him in his heart. Maybe I had; sometimes I couldn't control what I say.

"It's me; Shima-kun! Y'know, the terribly handsome, fearfully impressive, deadly-"

"Afraid of bugs?" I interrupt, a little curve coming from my lips up to my cheek. Seeing that he was familiar to me now, a grin crept onto his face.

"Yep." He smiles more, and I smile back with obvious embarrassment at my actions, before rubbing my face, now tired. "You tired?" He noticed, a chuckle about to spill from his lips. I nod, and smile a little blearily.

"Mm. I should go now. See you tomorrow…" I murmur, and start down the ladder, climbing back into my room by the window, closing it behind me. Setting the picture back down on my desk, I flopped back into my bed, my snow leopard -in its full grown form- gently flicking her tail on my thigh. I smile sheepishly. "I know, Haru. Sorry for leaving you." I murmur, kissing her head. She snorts, before falling back asleep. After a few more moments, I look up at the ceiling, my eyes closing.


	4. Friends, and Directions

The Next Day- Nat's POV:

Propping myself up to my elbows, I yawned before flexing my shoulders and stretching. Feeling the tension in between my shoulders and the heavy weight on my stomach, I figured I'd have to go back to Yukio for stress-relief. I rubbed my cub's belly to take my mind off of that thought, making her purr lightly under her breath. I smiled a little at the sound, it familiar and heartwarming, and started to wander the room, looking for some clothes that would be suitable for school. Before this, I hadn't really cared about what people saw me in, as the only thing people would be seeing was my familiar's fangs.

I heard someone knock on the door of my room, so I hastily yanked the blouse off the hanger in the closet, starting to button up the rumpled fabric as I slipped my arms into the sleeves. "Coming!" I called to the front of the dorm, before quickly pulling my skirt to my hips and flattening out the ruffles, pulling my hair up and wrapping my tie around my neck. The gesture was swift and easy, but I knew that I'd probably have to do the same for Rin. My mind pondered on what embarrassed expression he'd make this time if I'd do this, and so I just let the poor boy be for the time being with a wistful smile on my face.

"Onee-chan, we're gonna be late if you don't hurry your butt!" Rin's voice whines on the other side, and I stifle a small chuckle, nudging Haru up to make sure that she knew I had left. The last time I had left without her warning, the cub had almost torn down the building in a flurry to search for her master. I had learned my lesson then, but sometimes urgency won the thoughts that swirled in my mind.

"I said I'm coming, baka!" I yell back, and open the door with a sigh, only to get that breath hitched right back when I was hugged by him. I smile, awkwardly wrapping my arms around him back, squeezing him lightly. "Weirdo." I mutter, and gently pat his head, letting my nose rest in his neck. It was annoying that he was almost four inches taller than me, but he probably didn't like it just as much as I did.

Letting go, I dusted off my skirt for invisible crumbs or the many wrinkles residing in it, and Rin chuckles. "Haven't eaten breakfast yet, huh?" He teased, and so I just let my eyes narrow as I stick out my tongue at him slightly, my smile obvious on my face.

Noticing that other people were there, I start to flush out of embarrassment, but look around for the other two girls who had been there yesterday. Izumo and Shiemi, right? The three boys from Kyoto were there, the tallest one leaning against the wall with a scowl on his face, while the pink haired boy and the hairless one bounced around him, teasing him of God knows what.

"Yeah. I think I'll just probably get something at the cafeteria." I say breezily, though by the loud growl that was amplified by my stomach, it showed that I probably wouldn't be able to wait through the enormous line that flowed all the way to the corner of the next building. Hopefully I could; I shouldn't afford to depend on my brother for food, he probably didn't eat from having to wake me up.

After rejecting the confused look of my brother, I just waved them off, starting towards the cafeteria. My cat protested from Konekomaru's arms, having woken up and followed me out the door, and started to trot after me. I stopped, and smiled a little at her. "Stay here, girl. You can come back when I call you." I murmur to her, scratching her left cheek. She huffed, but purred anyways, padding back to the shorter boy.

Noticing that the slaps of foot against stone had doubled, I turned back to notice the bleached hair that belonged to the leader of the trio from Kyoto. I cock my head to the side, turning and slowing slightly, wondering what he needed. Hopefully, he wasn't here to scold me on the fact that I didn't do my homework that was due today.

"Oi!" He yells, making me wince. Of course he was. "I need ta talk to you!" He speeds up to a jog, and so I stop, acknowledging the fact that I wouldn't eat until lunch for today, and look back at him unamused. After a few moments, he catches his breath and glares up at me. "You walk really fuckin' fast."

I nod, smiling a little. "Um, okay. Was that all you wanted, or…" I start to turn again, but he grabs at my braid, making me yelp as I get yanked back. "O-oi, that's-" I falter; the boy had a vein of anger popping out from his temple, and his growl was low-almost like a demon. He was an Exorcist, the son of a head priest of a temple. He definitely didn't have demon blood in him. If that wasn't the problem, then-

"Stop making yer goddamn brother worry, you idiot." He demands, making me scoff internally, but then look down, embarrassed. He had no idea how much he worried me. And he was one to talk, he worried his two friends to death. Even I could see this, and I've only been here for a few days. Of course, this wasn't my first time seeing the threesome.

After a minute of just looking to him, I let a small smile come to my lips. "Huh. Alright." I say simply, yanking my braid back before holding out my hand to him. "C'mon. We'll be late for class." I add softer, and then look to the hallways, frowning softly. It had been a while since I had seen these hallways.

Seeing the clock, he gapes and quickly grabs my wrist, making me yelp and look to him with wide eyes, startled. "H-hey!" I try to protest, but it comes out meekly. Even though the gigantic boy- at least from my view- didn't listen, it seemed like he knew where he was going. I pray to God he did, otherwise we'd be doomed. With flaming cheeks, he starts to run, dragging me along with him.

"Don't make me pick you up!" He scowls, his cheeks burning. I explode with a flush of my cheeks, and just jog with him, eventually speeding up and going faster than him. "This way!" He scolds, pulling me in his direction making me slam into his back.

"O-Ow!" I yelp, and rub my head. I shake my head, before stumbling a little. He steadies me, looking around frantically before letting his palm collide with his face, me wincing at the hard slap of contact. "W-what're you-what're you doing?" I then ask, a little confused as the boy rubs his temples, a grimace on his face.

"I think we're lost." He says tersely under his breath, his lips pursed and the brunette's jaw set with annoyance.

"We?" I start with a raised eyebrow, and he looks up-wait no, down- from his hands, to glare at me.

"Yes, us. You're standing next to me, aren't you?" He manages to growl, and so I blink a few times, rubbing the back of my head as I stifle a small laugh. Perking up at the sound, he looked to me with a frown. "What's so goddamn funny, girlie? Because to me, all I see that is funny is that we're stuck in some hallway and we won't get to class on time and our test is today, and I couldn't study because of the stupid mission yesterday, and-"

"Mm. I know now."

"No, ya don't! I'm stressed out as hell, and all you're thinkin' is that I'm some weirdo who can't get his head screwed on right!" I sigh softly, but let him fume.

After a few moments, I finally speak again. "I remember you." I murmur quietly, my cheeks flushing. He looks over at me, an eyebrow raised. "I-I mean...from my childhood. You were the guy who'd 'protect' me from Shima." I giggle a little, and he has a whisper of a smile on his lips, and leans against the wall. Silently scolding myself, I look down to my boots before kicking the tip against the floor, looking from the left to the right.

"What're you doing?" The taller boy asked with obvious irritation, sighing softly in defeat. I roll my eyes slightly, and hold out my hand to him, looking to the right, where a light was flickering and chattering echoed through the corridor. "What?" He asks quieter, a vein popped out of his temple and his eyes narrowed. When he noticed my hand, his eyes softened but he cursed under his breath, rubbing his brow furiously.

"W-what'd I do wrong?" I sputter, my eyes faintly widened as he looked in pain. Looking to me, he scowls and does a little delinquent sound of the sort. A… 'tch'? I didn't care about how it sounded, all it helped the situation was none.

"Nothin'. Let's get going, we'll find the classroom somehow. Follow the path of idiocy." He grumbled, and so I sighed softly.

"Is there a reason why you sound so sullen? It sounds like you just want to get out of here." I muse, and then raise a brow as he just shrugs, nodding along to what I was saying. "If I'm correct, where do you want to go? Even if you do leave here, responsibility looms ahead of you. It's inevitable." I say softly, and look around before shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Responsibility shows strength of some sort." He protests, and so I let a soft spew of breath escape.

"Suguro-san-"

"Bon." He corrects me with a sharp stare, and so I look to the side before nodding.

"B...Bon. You need to cherish the carefree time you have now. When you're not so lucky in the future, when you manage to graduate at the top of the class, or find some special girl that you want a future with, you need to make sure that you have something under you. If you don't, your future will crumble. You'll be stuck with having to rely on others, and not for just a short period of time, but for the long run. And for a prideful person like you, I don't think you'd want that." I glance to him from the corner of my eye, and give a small smile. "Or at least that's what I think of it." I shrug, and then walk in silence, hearing a familiar voice and sighing softly in relief.

"Okumura." The boy beside me growled, and so with a roll of his eyes, he shoved the door not far in front of us open before stomping in, a scowl obvious on his face.

"Onee-chan!" Rin called over to me, making me perk up before putting his hands firmly on my shoulders, looking me from head to toe, a scrutinizing stare coming from his gaze. I twitched a little with a slight frown, touching my cheeks or lip to check if my lip was bleeding, or if I had put something on wrong. I didn't wear makeup or anything, I just knew that long hair could get anywhere. After a few moments of letting his eyes intensely glare over my frame for a few minutes, a slow growl comes to me.

"Oi. If I have something on my face or anything, you can say it." I mutter, looking over to the waiting class, who was leisurely chatting in their social groups, while Shura chugged down beer and Yukio scribbled down the lesson plans on the chalkboard.

"O-oh! Uh-nothing! I mean-uh, did he-did he do anything to you?" His voice lowered to what sounded like the overprotective brother voice, and he glanced over to the delinquent, who was arguing with his two friends. I make a small face of surprise; even if Suguro-Bon was nice to him, Rin thought otherwise...

"N-no. He didn't do anything." I say softly, and tug down my skirt a little to make sure it didn't show too much.

Noticing this, he let out a soft sigh of relief, letting his hands fall slack and giving me a genuine smile. "Thank goodness! He's my friend, so I didn't want to start a fight with him. Either way, though! If he does do something, don't hesitate to tell me. Okay?" I nod, letting a soft sigh of annoyance come to me, before we were interrupted by the clatter and laughs of the boys in the class.

"What'd they do?" I murmur, and perk up, shying away from my brother to look over to the mess they made. Demon goop was everywhere, and Shima was covered in it. Konekomaru was flailing his arms up and down with panic, trying to find something to clean him with, while Suguro- Bon was holding his hand over his face, stifling curses in a foreign language.

"N-Nattie-chan! Can you help me, please?" Shima whines, his hand extended towards me, while I bit my lip, noticing how Shiemi giggled a little out of amusement of their antics, while Izumo looked annoyed, even though she let a small chuckle come from her.

"Idiot," I conclude, holding back another retort as I notice that Rin had looked slightly uncomfortable, seeing the friendly interactions. Exchanging a glance with the delinquent appearing boy behind me, I slowly start towards the navy haired sword wielder.

"Onii-san." I start awkwardly, and look down to my boots as the toes crept inward, my eyes flickering over to his own blue orbs of sight.

"Y-yeah, Onee-chan?" He asks, sheepish and looking like he expected more of a dismissing tone. I flinch at my thoughts, and look to him before boldly taking his hands, holding them gently as I stumbled along with my words.

"I-I um… I'm sorry for… worrying you." I then quickly let go, but then smile half-heartedly as he nods, giving me a thumbs up and patting my head.

"Dai-jou-bu! You didn't mean to, so it's fine!" He soothes me, and so I nod, smiling with relief as I look for an empty seat. I see it next to Konkemaru while in front of Shima, and so I sit down next to Konkemaru, and softly nudge his side in greeting. He smiles back to me, and lets Haru climb into his lap, playing with the cub with one of his mobile hands, the other writing down notes that were on display across the board.

I felt someone gently tug on my hair, and I turn to meet Bon's eyes. He mouths, 'Thanks.' I smile back, shrugging. 'No problem.' I mouth back. I turn back over to Yukio, and start to pay attention to the class.


	5. A Meeting, and the Horrible Truth

**2 Weeks Afterward- A Mission: Defeat a Ghost- Nat's POV: **

"You all ready?" Yukio asked softly, before looking over to me from the corner of his eye. Me, being a 'newbie', I was supposed to look up to them as the more experienced and knowing. Of course, I'd act that way with Yukio, but not with my classmates, at least, until I can see that they have a formidable strength. "You see the ghost right there, correct?" He points to the man with light hair and dark eyes, whose form flickered as he preyed on the young children, looking to them with intensity that made shivers run down some's spines. "We will need bait, someone who is small and meek." His gaze wandered over to the two smallest, which was Takara and I. The puppet cocked his head to me, and so I sighed, looking to him with a glare.

"Really?" I start dejectedly, before letting a small groan come over me. The other boy only shrugs, a sheepish chuckle coming to him. I sigh quietly, before motioning for Haru to come with, the cat meowing quietly in understanding, climbing out of Konekomaru's arms before stretching, wiggling its paws slightly as it curled its tail.

"Is your pet done fooling around?" Takara looked to his puppet, not saying much else before looking back to the ghost. Noticing Rin's balled fist and Bon's annoyed look, I sigh softly before climbing over to where the other boy was, taking a look over to the ghost.

"She was getting ready, Taka." I say softly, before looking to the cat, as her tail had gone twice its normal size, her scowl evident as she growled to the man. He ignored her blatantly, and just shrugged.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Which you don't." I bristle at his words, and frown even more so. How did he know? I knew that he was talented, but was my restlessness in the old boys' dorm that noticeable? Rin and Yukio didn't notice…

"O-oi, Takara, that was uncalled for-" Rin starts, but Yukio stops him with a stare, Rin huffing but stepping down from the fight that would've erupted if Rin had gone any further. "Yukio, he was-" He stopped again, Shura taking him by the ear, crushing him close to her chest. With a muffled yelp and glare up at the woman, Rin was silenced.

"Alright. It's a ghost, abilities, Haru?" I whisper to the cat, who looks over to the ghost, getting up and padding silently around him, her eyes narrowing. There you are, girl. Keep going, that's it. You're doing great, I encourage with a look, and smile faintly as she comes back quickly, her tail whipping around with curiosity, stifling to go straight up with happiness of being praised.

Ignoring the intent gazes from the other students, Haru opens her maw, starting to speak. "5'8". Looks of the age of 19 years. Carries a sword. No face seen or noticed. Bandages all over body. Smells of dirt. Death calculated from observation; Buried alive during mummification in the 14th century." Licking her nose, she looks up to me, a hopeful intent in her eyes as I stuff my hand in my pocket, handing her a piece of fish that I managed to pack in a pouch that was attached to my belt.

"Good job, Haru." I praise again, and then frown as the ghost disappeared. "Haru. Go the the left, Takara, to the right. Nat, go under." I hear Yukio command as he held a hand to Bon, who looked annoyed as he wanted to participate. "Not now. We need to locate the ghost before attacking head on." He muttered to the taller boy, who snorted with indignance.

"I know that! But don't we need to make a barrier for them? What if the guy attacks? They've only got animals, and Nat's unarmed!" He protested, and so Takara glances over to me from the side, raising a brow as he observed me. Slowly, I tug sharply on the hilt of my blade at my hip, catching it as I held it over my shoulder, looking to Haru as she growled lowly.

"Enemy approaching from the west." She said curtly, the growl quieting to a small harrumph of annoyance. "I will go to the left, correct?" She instructed, her eyes flickering over to me for a moment, then going back to where her nose demanded after seeing my approving nod.

"Let's go." I get up from my crouching position, stepping off of my dominant foot in a trot-like jog. "Haru; Familiar form." I call to the cat, seeing the form of hers grow, her form now the size of a truck, her roar mighty and strong as she rammed into the ghost, his yelp of surprise heard with a ring of satisfaction as he plummeted under her, her paws crushing his arms.

"Target is immobile." Haru clarified, her figure holding the ghost into place, Takara raising his arm to take out a blood summon, nicking his finger and smearing his finger against his paper before calling for his familiar, a demon erupting from the earth and swallowing the ghost whole. Haru managed to jump out of the way, shifting into a snow leopard before licking her paw, frowning as she plopped down into a sitting position. "Mission accomplished. Ghost is being dissolved slowly by puppet man's familiar acids." The blue eyed animal confirmed, before frowning, licking at her paw again.

"You didn't even need ta use your sword again, are you sure that it's not for show, Okumura-sensei?" Bon asked sheepishly, frowning a little at the blade that was seated across my shoulder. Yukio only shrugged in response, exchanging a glance with Shura of slight amusement and slight annoyance that I wasn't satisfying the curiosity of my classmates.

Sighing, I slowly place the sword back in its hilt, before looking over to the familiar, who was lurching forward, rocking on its feet. Cocking my head to the side, I slowly start towards it. Takara had a faint look of surprise and mild confusion, which was a surprise for the boy himself to show such emotions. He was very skilled, and I was sure that he wouldn't be surprised over something little; the familiar was probably regurgitating something, something major.

"Oi, is the thing okay?" Rin said slowly, frowning faintly. He stepped forward, as if placing a hand on my shoulder, but I start towards the familiar, placing my hand on the top of its head. "Onee-chan!" He protested immediately at my actions, but couldn't stop me as he was restrained by Shura once again.

"Just let her do her thing, Rin-chan." Shura drawled with a bored expression, one brow raised. Frowning slightly, I then let my hand trail down the frog like creature's head, down to its throat, where its crest was puffing in and out, in a rhythmic pattern.

"He's trying to spit out the ghost. Even though it's dissolved, there's something else in there. Haru, hold it down." I command, the snow leopard changing forms again as she trotted over, slamming her paws down against the creature's back to keep it still. Takara made no move as I unsheathed the golden blade attached to my belt, but winced slightly as I pricked the protruding crest.

"Oh my-" Shima stuttered, his eyes growing wide and his skin paling as he then covered his mouth, bugs of many kinds spilling from the wound, twitching and all. Turning around quickly, he ran a hand through his hair, and tried to keep himself calm while Izumo rolled her eyes, Konekomaru trying to sooth the pink haired boy. He's afraid of insects. That's-different. Common, almost. I immediately think, then scold myself before cracking my knuckles, thrusting my hand into the gaping hole that defined the wound the sharp sword of mine made.

After a few moments of gasps and grunts from the others, I grimace and narrowly dodge the tongue slathered in acids and goo aimed at my arms, and hold onto its neck to rub its pressure point, frowning as I take ahold of a badge-like object, the familiar jerking and rearing back, my hand slipping the other way along with my frame.

"Master!" The familiar voice of my familiar bellowed, leaping forward to try to steady me, but another pair of arms catch me with a slight jerk instead. Looking up, I blink at the blonde and brunette haired boy, who had held my elbows with a roughness that was anticipated; he had never really needed to be gentle. He probably didn't want to be, either.

"What is that?" Bon asked abruptly, letting go to point to the badge I was holding. Noticing the blue glow it emanated, I winced as warmth overflowed me, almost to the point of burning my skin. "Are you sure it isn't dangerous at all?" He then bombarded my thoughts, frowning a little at the object I was holding. "It's bathed in a demon's aura. You should let Okumura-sensei look at it." Bon observes, frowning as he shifts from his position behind me to take a better look, giving the rest of the class a better view of the object. Out of the corner of my eye, I could notice Shima frown, his eyes looking away and then looking down.

"I know this scent!" Rin then trotted over, noticing the badge and sniffing it. He slaps his forehead to think, a small frown of frustration coming to his face. "I can't figure out where, but-but I know it somewhere, for sure!" He murmured to himself, and then grumbled a little.

"Get over yourself, Rin. There's no way you could have seen something of that excalibur somewhere, you were raised in a goddamn church." Izumo sneered, looking to them with crossed arms and a scowl evident on her face. Rin growled, but was silenced with a stern look from Yukio.

"The both of you, stand back." He stated quietly, stepping forward to take the emblem, but winced as a burn mark came to his skin. Frowning, the wound healed as quickly as it had come, and so I look to the badge, catching it before it was able to clatter onto the cobblestone ground. Looking to the mark, then to the classmates that had come into my life, my eyes softened and my frown increased. They were heading straight into a war. Should I tell them the truth? Or should I let them stay the same for a little bit longer? They didn't deserve to have their world crumble so quickly so soon in life, but-

"You know what it is-don't you?" Konekomaru piped up with a soft whisper, gently tugging on my sleeve. Perking up at his question, I shake my head quickly, frowning a little.

"N-no, I don't." I assure the smaller boy, a slight frown on my face.

"Are you sure?" He murmurs, his big eyes gazing up to me with a slight frown, but ignored the stiffen in my figure.

"Yes. I'm sure." His eyes narrow slightly, but he lets go of the subject, nodding and ducking behind Shima. Yukio shared a glance with me, and so I nod, dropping the badge and whipping the sword in a semicircle, distancing the classmates of mine.

"Nattie-chan! What're you doing?" Shima perked up, a frown contorting his face as he stared at my sword. "W-wait, shouldn't you be a little more-" I ignored him, swinging my blade in with the wind whistling in response, my eyes narrowed and my body braced for an aftershock of some excalibur. Wincing as a wave of blue flames roared in response to the clang of metal against metal, my arm seared with agony as the flames worked up my arm.

"Shit!" Rin immediately recoiled, shoving me away from the flames with a harsh push. Noticing the emblem, then looking to the mark on his sword hilt, his eyes widened with fury and anguish. "Onee-chan, are you okay?" He then asked quickly, taking my bruising arm in his hands, studying it intently. Panting for breath, I take the emblem and start pawing at the ground, digging a hole and then breaking it into pieces once its flames had died out.

After a few moments of watching, Shiemi crouched down next to me, starting to sweep her hands over the dirt, helping me bury the object. I looked over to her, at first surprised, but then frowned slightly. She probably was curious, just as much as the other students were. Sighing, I stopped once it was submerged in the soil that was a crack in the street, before slumping back. A small grass clad creature had started to tend to my wounded arm, its soft leaves brushing against it with a ticklish feeling.

"Nattie-chan, what was that?" She whispered to me, and so I look back to her, a small quirk of the lip. There was no other way to put it, but even though the situation was dire for explanation, I looked over to Yukio. My trusted brother nodded, a reluctant look on his face as he fiddled with his gun, placing it back into its holster at his belt. Sighing, I start to clear my throat, catching the students' attention while doing so. Slowly, I look to each of them, a frown obvious on my face as I uttered the two simple words;

"It's Satan."

* * *

**A Few Weeks Later/ Rin's POV:**

Lately, Nat's been avoiding me. Yes, we did share a class together and a table, in which she sits between Konekomaru and I, and yes, we did share a dorm building, but even so, she rarely speaks to me or even bats an eye my direction. What did I do wrong, to make her think that keeping her attention elsewhere, not relying on me, the big brother in our family, would make this any better?

Frowning at my paper, I sigh softly and scribble down an absentminded answer, not caring whether or not Yukio would scold me afterwards. Both he and Nat have acted strangely after the mission with that weird ghost, and even though we lived under the same roof for over 13 years, and yet again now after 1 year, it seemed like our bonds were now just a small noodle, like the noodles of the miso soup I always prepared for the family. Sometimes, I would ask if she would want the leftovers of the previous night's dinner, but she usually only utters a few words of rejection and keeps on working.

Hearing Yukio's muffled voice, I perk up to see that he was talking on the phone, his voice urgent and his eyes narrowed with deep thought. Cocking my head to the side, a small pout came to me as he payed me no attention.

"Yukio, what's wrong? You're so distant all the time, why won't you let me help?" I whine, leaning over the couch, frowning slightly. He didn't answer, and only kept talking to the mystery person, his frown deepening as his voice grew in volume, his eyes narrowed again into a pointed stare at the desk in front of him. After a few moments of watching him, a soft huff comes to me. "Meanie." I grumble, and then perk up, a spark of thought flaring in my head.

"What did you say?" My younger brother prodded, not even glancing my way. Groaning, I flop back onto the mattress of my bed.

"I just thought of something, that's all! Haven't you seen Nat act this way before?" I state with a tone of excitement, a smile on my face of satisfaction of my discovery. Seeing my brother's slight eyebrow raise, I continue. "Y'know, when she was distant and wouldn't speak with anyone! I mean, it was a long time back, I doubt you'd remember that, but maybe you do?"

"Just say what you're speaking of, Nii-san." Yukio only sighed with defeat, placing the phone on the desk as he sat in the chair. Sitting up again, I clamp my hands on my knees, a small shrug moving my shoulders as I lean my head back.

"Well, when we first found Nat, I think. When we were on the mission thing with Shiro, to visit her for her third birthday." I say encouragingly, trying to help the boy remember of our first meeting with our foster sister. As I tried to explain, memories of my own raced through my head.

* * *

Flashback- 13 Years Ago/ Rin's POV:

Shiro had invited us on a trip to go to a home that was a little out of the town that we were in; it was a small home, which had many different animals and happy and caring people. He was good friends with them. But what we saw that day was the exact opposite.

When we first walked into the property, I saw a crystal-like lake that had shimmered lightly, but it was too silent for anyone's liking. We kept on going, but I stepped into something that was sticky. When I pulled back up my foot, it was dyed a red. A pungent scent trailed up to my nose, and Shiro covered my eyes before I heard coughing and retching. I realized that beside me, Yukio had vomited in the bushes. I looked up at Shiro, but he only kept my eyes closed as he walked us past the dead animal.

"Papa, what was that?" I asked him, and he had only shook his head, biting his lip. It seemed that he was disturbed and very upset.

"It was...It was my best friend's companion." He mumbled, shaking his head. I didn't answer anything else, only started to walk to the house that seemed like it was torn down and built again very poorly. A side of the house seemed like it was smashed through, the roof had some parts missing in it. It looked like it was attacked.

I heard a whimper from Yukio, and Shiro started to jog. He raced through the land, as if he knew it like the back of his hand. Once we got closer, I could hear the whimpers and sobs from a little girl. I started to run into the house, and Shiro yelled out to me, scolding me. But I knew that a girl was in there, and she was in distress and sadness.

Kicking the door down, my eyes widened and I felt bile in my throat. There were two people sprawled out on the floor, blood pooling around. Letting the sickness take over me, I stumbled back and retched in the bushes.

A wolf-by the looks of it- had its leg and forearm were twisted in awkward positions, the wolf in front of its companion; her mother. Shiro pulled us back, but then I spotted a cloud of dark hair. Looking to the side, I saw a girl with dirtied clothes at the hems, and dark hair sticking to her cheeks. She had her fingers curled in the long sleeve of who looked like her mother, her whimpers echoing through the vast room. She trembled as she looked up, and her eyes widened before more tears filled her eyes.

Much to Shiro's-and my-surprise, I stepped forward, holding out my hand to the kneeling girl. "Hiya! I'm Rin, and this is my brother Yukio," I pointed to each person I introduced to her, hoping she'd understand, "And this is my Papa Shiro! We're here to take care of you. We won't let you cry anymore, or be sad."

I smiled at the girl, and she stood up, her eyes taking me by surprise. They were an emerald green with golden rays shining from the pupil. She took my hand, and started to sob, clutching my shirt as she buried her head in my shoulder. "There, there. No more crying. We don't want you to ruin that pretty face of yours with tears." I soothed her, wrapping my arms around her. She only cried harder, her figure shaking so hard that it made mine lightly tremble. She backed away from me, and looked at me with those eyes and her lips slowly curved up in a smile.

"A-Arigatou, Onii-san."


	6. Fear, and a 'Date'

Natsuki's POV:

I am too afraid to meet with Rin right now. I am afraid that if I see him, or if I see even Yukio, I will break down in tears that I have held deep within me. If they see me like that, they will pity me. I do not want pity. I want to be strong. That is all I want. I want to protect them so they will not suffer like I did. I do not want anyone to ever suffer like that.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a few knocks on the door. I realized I was in the clothes I was in yesterday, and sighed a little as I pulled them off, then pulling on fresh, crisp clothes for school. I frowned a little and peeked outside, my cheeks flushing and I blinked a few times.

The person at the door was Shima, Bon, and Konkemaru. "U-um, just a minute…" I mumble, my shirt covering most of my thighs-hopefully-. I quickly point up a finger, closing the door before they could protest, and pulled on the rest of my clothes, leaving my tie wrapped around my neck. I open the door and yelp when Bon pulls me to him by my tie, his fingers tying it and his cheeks a flaming red, along with mine. "W-what was that for?" I mumble, my speech as if I had my tongue in a knot.

He blushed even more, and scowled, crossing his arms and looking the other way. "Y-You didn't have your tie in a knot." He mumbled back to me, and stormed off into the direction of the classroom. I frown a little, blinking a few times before sighing.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask Shima, who only chuckled looking at me amused. He shook his head, and shrugged.

"No one knows what goes through the mind of that weirdo." He laughs, before nudging Konkemaru knowingly. He chuckles, making me pout and cross my arms.

"Why won't you tell me?" I ask softly, and look down at the ground. Shima only smiles, tilting my chin up with his fingers.

"'Cause it's not our story to tell, love." He smiled at me, making my cheeks flush a little. I nod slowly, slipping out of his grip and smiling at him.

"Ok. Thank you, Shima-kun." I bow and turn on my combat boot-clad heel, and start to trot towards the classroom. Once I get there, I smile a little at Shiemi and Kamiki, before freezing in my tracks.

Rin was sitting where Konkemaru was.

I started to tremble a little, slowly taking a few steps before looking down, biting my lip. Why did he have to choose that seat? I asked myself, and slowly slumped down in my seat.

"Nat?" A quiet-almost meek- voice started softly. I tuned him out. I knew it was Rin. I kept my eyes glued on the blackboard, though I could feel his gaze stay on me. When class ended, I jumped out of my seat, surprising all of us. With my fingers twitching and my knees trembling, I looked at the ground, embarrassed. Everyone's gaze was locked on me, the looks of surprise and some of annoyance, all aimed to me nevertheless.

I felt a hand tug at my hair- a little harder than anticipated- making me yelp and fall back onto the desk behind me.

"We're going on a...A catching up activity." The voice stated with a huff, and pulled me by the hair to him. "I see he's a little excited." He observed, making my cheeks flush. I knew that voice. I looked over at Bon with grateful eyes, and smiled a little.

"Mm. We haven't really seen each other for years, so we wanted to catch up on things." I added, barely able to finish without a nervous stutter. With a chuckle, Bon grabbed me by the hand and started to jog, and so I squeaked and started to run with him out of the classroom.

I was walking with Bon in the amusement park. We had not spoken since he helped me escape from the classroom. After a few moments, I finally spoke up. "Arigatou...Bon." I smiled a little at him, and blushed when he smiled a little back. "Bon?" I asked timidly, like a child asking for something.

"Yeah?"

I poked his cheek, and smiled cheekily. "You grew up to be really tall." I giggle a little.

He blinked a few times, before tousling my hair. "You grew up to be really short." He chuckled, more of a smile on his lips. I pout, giggling more.

"No need to be mean!" I complain, smiling. "Why do you have a goatee, Mr. Delinquent?" I cross my arms, biting into the blue cotton candy I bought from a vender.

He crossed his arms too, mimicking me. "I'm no delinquent!" He protests, then grumbles. "Why do you have such long hair, Ms. Goody-two-shoes?" He retorted. I snickered, then poke him with my cotton candy. "Hey!" He complains, trying to keep his hair from getting sticky.

"I've always had long hair, Mr. Delinquent. And I am _not_ a Goody-two-shoes!" I argue, huffing. "You are too a delinquent!" I try not to laugh as I argue with him.

With a glare- though almost fond- he stifled a chuckle. "Am not!"

'Are too!" I can not hold it in anymore and burst into a fit of giggles. Bon chuckles a little, before poking my lips with his pink cotton candy. Once I stop laughing, I take in a breath. "So why'd you help me in the classroom?" I ask seriously.

He stops too, and shrugs. "I don't know. You just seemed like you needed help." He mumbled. I nodded slowly, before smiling at him.

"Arigatou. Maybe we can do this again sometime, it was fun." I smile at him. He nods, before placing his hands to the side. I plop down on a bench, sitting down and tearing off a hunk of the cotton candy with my teeth. He sits down next to me, eating his cotton candy too. "Arigatou. For everything." I murmur to him, my head falling against his shoulder, drifting into sleep.


	7. Mixed Feelings, and Another Nightmare

Bon's POV:

I looked over at the girl, and let out a sigh, a smile visible on my lips. She looked innocent; like a child while sleeping. I let her rest, her dark haired head nestled in my shoulder. I blushed faintly as I ripped off another hunk of pink cotton candy from the cloud of pink fluff. Why'd she thank me, anyways? I didn't do much. Her dark curls came out of her bun, and I resisted the urge to brush it back. Was it my neatness or-or something else that made me want to do that? I didn't know.

Her nose twitched a little, making me chuckle. Drool had clouded on the corner of her lip, and so I just dabbed it with her cotton candy, trying to hide a laugh as it stuck a little to her mouth. The sky started to darken, resulting in a huge collection of light sprayed above us in the sky. I smiled a little, looking up. "Nat. Nat, wake up, you baka." I nudged her, and then nudged her again when she didn't budge.

I sighed, picking her up with her chin resting on my shoulder, and her arms flailed out over my neck. I had her legs dangling from each side of me, and my arms were looped around her legs, and shoved inside my pockets. "Jeez, you're so troublesome. Deep sleeper I say." I mumbled to the sleeping girl, and took another bite out of my cotton candy. Tossing the now bare cone into the trash can, I saw Rin and the others. Blinking a few times, I looked at the sleeping face of Nat, before starting towards their direction.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I saw Bon and Nat, and my eyebrows furrowed as my eyes narrowed. Looking at them, I noticed how Shima looked away quickly, his fists clenched and shoved in his pockets. I looked at the both of them, and sighed a little taking Nat from Bon. When I did, I held her like a baby, shifting her without ease.

"Baka." Bon grumbled, taking her back and putting her frame on his back easily. She nestled closer, her figure slightly shivering. He slipped his coat over her, and her trembling stopped. He smiled faintly, and looked over at us. "So what's up, are we goin' on a mission?" He asked, hefting Nat up a little higher.

I shook my head, trying not to glare at him. It's fine. He's not doing anything to her. She'll be fine. "Nah, we just wanted to chill for now." I stated lightly, and rested my head on my chin. Yukio helped Nat off of Bon, wiping the corner of her mouth with his glove, picking her up.

"Sorry 'bout her." He sighs lightly, and sets her on the ground, making her jerk awake immediately.

"What…" She started softly, her braid a little out of place. Nat blinked a few times, and got up quickly, bowing multiple times. "G-gomenasai!" She yelped, her cheeks a deep crimson. Her hair spilled over her face and down to her knees, and she had her figure bowed down towards the other boy. I looked away quickly, hating how she treated him like royalty. He blushed faintly, then chuckled softly as he just turned away, starting to walk away.

"It's fine." He looked over his shoulder, and saluted, starting towards the boys' dormitory. She smiled and waved, before getting tackled by Haru. She squeaked and giggled, picking up the cub and holding her to her chest. I noticed that she didn't look at me, nor Yukio. It saddened me, that she would ignore me just like that. We had not seen each other for so long, and yet she acted like this.

"Nat-"

"W-Well, I'm getting a little bit tired out...so Oyasumi...na..sai…" She murmured, her eyes drooping. When it came to her, she couldn't stay awake for so long. If she had a bad sleep-which was a lot- she probably couldn't stay awake more than 13 hours. It was the way her body works. I caught her as she fell forward, her head resting on my shoulder. I sighed faintly, and picked her up, holding her in my arms as I started towards her dorm, led by Kamiki, since Shiemi had already left for her home.

"Oh, Nat." I murmured, and set her down on her bed. Pulling her hair out of the bun she had it in, her hair flowed over her side like a dark streak of paint. I pulled the blankets over her, slowly stripping her of her clothes and putting on a pair of shorts and a tank top that I thought were her pajamas. I didn't really look at her like that, because, well, when you're in the same household for about 13 years, you kind of don't attract to them at all. I mean, when I first met her, sure, I had a kid crush on her. But that was a child-like thing, an immature nature.

When I looked at her now, all I could see was the little sister that I needed to protect.

* * *

Natsuki's POV:

When I woke up, I had tears on my cheeks, my hair tousled and my head burning. Another nightmare, it seemed. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself as I sat up, petting Haru's soft fur. Hoping it would calm me down, I pulled the cat closer to me, nestling my nose in her back. Hearing a soft rumble in her chest, she licked my cheek and then my hair, like she was grooming me. She used to do this a lot, when she wanted to calm me down and to keep me safe, to show that I had her with me.

"Arigatou, Haru." I whispered to her, kissing her head. She nudged her head higher against my lips, her whiskers twitching as she licked her nose. I giggled softly as she tried to make me feel better, like prancing around, and chasing her chair. When I was younger, it would make me smile and play with her, but now is different. I've lost almost everything I had clung onto with my life, falling down, closer and closer into the hands of Satan.

When Shiro first died, Satan seemed so comforting, whispering to me that it was okay, that he would stay by my side forever. But then when the light streamed through the windows each morning, I would always imagine Shiro waking me up, the smile of his bringing me back over to the real world, though I knew, deep in my heart, that it wasn't true. He would never smile at me like that again. He would not be here with me. With Rin. With Yukio. With us.

I got up, and pulled on a sweatshirt and my boots before walking out the door, Haru trotting next to me. Closing the door behind me, I pressed my forehead against the door, slowly turning and jogging out of the dormitory.


	8. Someone New, and Comfort

As I jogged down the pathway, I noticed someone. I peeked my head out more, seeing the bright red of the hair. I frowned, seeming like it was familiar to me. I kept on going towards the light of hair, thinking it was Shura. When I finally emanated from the forest, I found myself at the fountain; at the center of the town. I saw the girl, her hands clutching a slip of paper. I sat down next to her, slowly, as if not to startle her.

"When someone is in distress or in fear," Mama always said, "Never startle them. Slowly show them that you're there." I remembered her tell me, poking my nose. It was when I was two, learning to tame creatures.

I slowly touched her hand, leaning forward to look over at her face. She jumped, then glared at me. Her eyes softened, then she turned back to the photo.

"D-do you know this man?" She asked, holding up the photo. "The four-eyes and the tail guy wouldn't tell me. He's my uncle." She blinked, showing me the photo. When I looked at it, I frowned a little, seeing that it was Shiro. Shiro Fujimoto. My 'father'.

I nodded, closing my eyes. Tears involuntarily filled my eyes, and I blinked them away.

"How?" She cocked her head to the side, not noticing how I tensed up, how my hands had been filled with the hems of my shorts, how my knees were trembling. They weren't very distinct features, I knew. Rarely anyone noticed my emotions. Other than my happy ones, at the least. The only person who could were Shiro, Rin, and Yukio. My parents added, of course. But they're...not here.

"H-He was my adopted father." I murmur, and bite my lip until it starts to bleed. The girl frowns, confused.

"What do you mean, was? Mama and Papa said that he was here… He's the Paladin here! I'm supposed to live with him for the time being until I get a dorm." She starts, and crosses her arms. My emotions finally take their toll, and I stand up, barely able to stand without my knees trembling so hard that I would fall back.

"I-I mean...he's gone."

"G-gone?!" The girl's eyes fill with tears, and she shakes her head. "No...No! You're lying! You're a liar! He's here!" She yelled, the photo floating out of her grasp and onto the cobblestone ground.

"W-Why would I lie about that...when he was my own 'father'." I whisper, and look at her with a tear slipping down my cheek. "Why would I lie about that when he was the person who raised me!" I yell, and then stop. "G-gomen." I mumble, then turn and start to run, run away from the girl whose eyes were wide, her mouth gaping open. I ran away from Haru, who looked confused then followed. I ran aimlessly, not knowing where to go, or why I was going the way I was going.

* * *

I found myself breathing heavily at the boys' dormitory-to be exact- Rin's dorm. I blinked a few times, not sure how I even found it. I slowly knocked on the door, looking at the stars and seeing that it was about 2:00 in the morning. How long was I running? I asked myself. I'm not much of a runner… I sighed, and knocked again on the door.

Rin came out after the third knock, his hair up slightly in his hair clip, his eyes bleary and his hair tousled like he could not sleep.

"N-Nat?" He started, rubbing his eyes. "Nat, what're you doing here?" He asked, frowning. I just shook my head, and I could feel the tears coming. I hiccuped, then just wrapped my arms around him, the feelings erupting like a volcano.

"Gomen." I whispered in his chest, before feeling tears slip from my eyes, down to my cheeks, dripping off my chin to the floor. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled softly, wrapping his arms around me.

"It's okay, Nattie-chan. I was worried about you." He kissed my head, and closed the door, letting me climb into his bed. It's what we did when we were kids; when I had a nightmare, I would go to Rin's room and knock on the door. He would let me in, and we would huddle on his bed, just talking. It was like a natural instinct. Maybe that's why I came here. I thought to myself.

"A-Arigatou, Onii-chan." I smiled a little at him, looking across the room and gave Yukio a light pat on the head, though he did not stir as I did so. I smiled, and giggled softly, wiping my eyes. "He's a deep sleeper as ever." I murmur, and then sit back on the bed.

"What happened, though, Onee-chan? You look like you saw a ghost." Rin blinked and then chuckled at his unintended pun. I shook my head, and sighed, letting my hair out of its bun. Slipping the band on my wrist, I looked over at him sadly.

"It was about Shiro. A girl asked about him, and I just…" I couldn't finish, and so I just trailed off the sentence, knowing that he knew what I was saying. He wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled into his shoulder, hugging him back. After about five minutes of not saying anything and just hugging him, I felt my eyes droop down as I felt my head nestle tightly in his shoulder, letting myself fall asleep.


	9. A New Friend, Sparring and a New Mission

The next morning, I found myself curled into a ball, the blankets covering me like a mountain and the pillow under my head, though it was put gently and barely pillowed my cheekbone and chin. I looked up, knowing that this was not my dorm, and so I looked over at the form next to me, smiling a little seeing that it was Rin.

He was on the floor, drool dripping from his mouth and his hair was over his forehead, his eyes closed. He looked much more peaceful, much more like the Rin I knew. I got up, and heard a knock on the door. I quickly changed into a skirt and a blouse, though not exactly lining up the buttons right so they did not align with about two buttons.

"Oi! Rin, you're late for class!" A stern voice rang through the door and to the dorm, slowly jerking Rin awake. He rubbed his head, his bed head visible.

"U-Um, yeah, I'm coming!" I try to imitate Rin, pulling on my socks sloppily.

"C'mon, we need to go! And I also need to find Nat, she has to show a new kid around." The voice is more recognizable as he knocked on the door. I, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall trying to hop into my right boot, and slipped on a wrapper of cat food, falling on my face.

"Oi! You okay?!" Rin's voice echoed through the dorm, and I blinked a few times, trying to get him to be quiet.

"What're you talking about, baka?! I just heard you! How many of you are in there?!" The person outside the door yelled, and I facepalmed blushing even more.

"Nevermind, you gave me a key once." The doorknob starts to turn, and Rin only shrugs, going back into the bathroom. When the door opened, I looked up to see the surprised face of Bon, and I let my head fall back to the floor, now embarrassed to Gehenna.

"Oh, Nat! You left your-" I looked up to see him holding a skimpy piece of cloth and I squeaked, blushing as I tackled him, throwing it into the bathroom covering his mouth.

"NO! THIS ISN'T WHAT IT SEEMS!" I yelp, and blush even more, getting up and pointing at Bon. "D-Do _not_ tell a soul!" I try to threaten, though it wasn't very much so.

"I-I-I won't." He mumbled, his cheeks a red as he covered his eyes.

"Yosh~ Let's go!" Rin cheered, wrapping his arms around our shoulders, and trotting out the door.

* * *

"H-Hello! I am...K-Koko! I-I turned 15 two months ago, and I-I want to become an Exorcist!" The fiery haired girl stated with a loud, fierce voice, and I perked up slowly, recognizing that voice. I looked up to see the girl with amber orange eyes, and I flinched, my fingers trembling. It was a bad habit I had when I got nervous. "I know you!" She yelped, and pointed at me. I squeaked and balled my fists up, before standing up and slowly walking to the front of the classroom, and held out my hand to her.

"I am Nat." I state softly, and look at her as she takes my hand, shaking it lightly before crossing her arm. "And I'm sorry." I close my eyes, and look over at Yukio. "We're supposed to do sparring, right?" I ask quietly, blowing a strand from my eyes, and stretch a little. "I'll be your guide and I'll show you your dorm soon." I place a soft hand on her head, and smiled a little.

"Will you tell me about Shiro then?" The girl asked innocently, making me freeze. I bite my lip and nod slowly, my knees trembling. Rin's eyes were wide, and Yukio looked uncomfortable and confused.

"Y-Yeah. I will."

Koko smiled widely, and nodded, her hands on her hips. "Yosh~ what do we do now?" She asked with a grin, knocking everyone out of the silence.

"Well we have a sparring part, so I'll state the pairings and you can just watch for now." He instructs, and Koko pouts lightly before nodding. "Alright, the pairings are…"

* * *

I stood on the mat in front of Shima, who was smirking faintly. I covered my chest on instinct, causing other to laugh. I sighed and slowly let my hands go from my front, and got into a fighting position. I blushed, knowing that a skirt would not be at advantage here, and so I crouch, waiting for the whistle. When it blew, I looked at Shima, noticing how he didn't want to hurt me.

"Do I have to hit a girl? I mean, really! It's so ungentlemanly-"

"Shima, you're no gentleman!" Bon protests, and rolls his eyes crossing his arms. "Jeez, even I'd attack by now." He snorts, and leans against the wall.

When Shima finally got into what he thought was a fighting position, I had already pinned him down sitting on him with an arm behind his back. "Can we be done?" I look at Yukio, and Rin lets out a low whistle, pulling Shima up, along with me.

"Whoo! Nattie-chan's got some power!" Shima chuckled, shaking off his arm. I looked down at my arm, to see it was burned. I frowned, and looked at Shima's arm. He noticed my arm, and quickly took it tenderly in his hands, frowning. "C'mon, I'll go get a gauze for ya." He smiles and pulls me by the hand, making me yelp and blush.

"H-hey!" I squeak in surprise, almost tripping many times. I smile a little, and he sits me down on the exam chair, and holds my hand as he wraps my arm in a gauze. Shima held my hand in his, wrapping the gauze around my arm, a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry, for hurting your arm." He stated softly, and squeezed my fingers tenderly as he finished, and got up.

"Shima?" I started tentatively, not knowing whether or not I should ask this.

"Yeah?" He asked, holding my hand lightly.

"Are you contracted with a demon?" I questioned, curiosity getting the best of me. He froze, and looked over at me, slowly chuckling.

"You're a smart cookie, Nattie." He smiled and put his hands behind his head, looking at me relaxed. "Yeah, I am. So in exchange for that, you have to do something for me." He smiled cheekily, and looked over at me expectantly. I blinked in confusion, and blushed madly.

"Y-you...want me to..." I blush even more, but he only laughed, shaking his head.

"No, though at first I was thinking of it. I kinda want you to send this to Izumo." He then faltered, and shook his head. "Nevermind, I'll do it myself." He smiled lopsided, and leaned forward and stood up. "No telling anyone, Nattie-chan." He smiled at me, and ruffled my hair, trotting out of the infirmary. I nodded and blushed, before hearing a knock on the door.

"Oi, Nat! We're going to Kyoto for a mission, it's important!" A sharp voice sliced through my thoughts, and I perked up to see Shura.

"O-oh, alright. I'm coming," I called back, and started to get up, walking after her.


	10. The Suguro Compound, and an Argument

Rin's POV:

On the train, Nat sat in between Shima and I, Izumo sitting next to Shima and Shiemi next to me. Yukiko and Bon stood, gripping the handles and leaning against the poles, while Shura was gulping down a canned beer next to Koko and Izumo, who nudged her away from them. Nat cuddled in my shoulder, but then curled into a ball, falling asleep.

"Why does she always fall asleep?" Shiemi asked softly, frowning lightly in confusion. I chuckled, and shrugged.

"She's always been like this. When she doesn't get much sleep the night before, she can only stay awake for about 13 hours. She usually can't sleep at night because she always has nightmares, even when she was a kid." I explained, looking down at her before smiling softly. Nat looked more soft featured, her long lashed eyes closed , and her lips slightly parted with faint breaths coming from them.

"So what're we supposed to do in Kyoto?" Konkemaru asked, his figure seated across from us, looking over at Shura, who was wiping the froth of beer from her lip, looking over at us with a bored expression.

"A gate from Gehenna had gotten breached and somethin' about this bastard...um...what was his name? Somethin' Suguro, I know." Bon froze, and ooked at Shura with wide eyes.

"S-Suguro?" He sputtered, blinking a few times.

"Yeah. And Shima's family invited us to stay with them for the time being." She added, taking another gulp of her drink, and so I looked over at Shima, whose eyes were wide and his fingers were twitching as he shoved them in his pockets. Koko's head was against the window, and she was humming a tune from her iPod. Shiemi was also sleeping, her head on my shoulder. My cheeks flushed faintly, and I smiled more before seeing Nat's head lift up. Nat mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, and started to stand up, stretching.

"Mm… are we almost there?" She asked Yukio, but sighed when he shook his head.

"I'm gonna sleep." I mumbled, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

* * *

Bon's POV:

Looking over at Nat, I sighed before plopping down next to the sleeping Konkemaru. Yukio had sat down in Nat's spot, and fell fast asleep, along with the others of the team. The only ones who were awake were Nat and I. Nat still paced back and forth across the train car, biting her lip and fiddling with her fingers. "Oi, you need to sleep" I started gruffly, letting my head bump against the rattling window of the train car.

She looked over at me, and slowly nodded. "But I need to watch over you all." She murmured, her voice weak and shaky. I raised a brow at the girl, wondering what would make her act that way.

"We're almost there. I'll wake you up when we get there," I argue. "I'm not afraid to pull you down." I threaten, my right hand fiddling with the silver loop in my ear.

After a few moments of thinking, Nat slowly nods, and sits down next to me, curling into a ball and leaning her head against the armrest, closing her eyes and wrapping herself in her coat.

"G'night." I mumble, feeling my eyes droop until I can barely see.

"Good night, Bon." Nat's voice softly echoed, and I fell asleep peacefully.

* * *

Nat's POV:

Once the train stopped, I felt a hand tentatively-almost gently- flick my forehead.

"Nat, get up." An impatient voice commanded, another flick gifted to my forehead. I groaned, opening one eye to look up at Bon, bored and tired.

"Mm." I grumble, getting up and stretching my back. "So we're in Kyoto now?" I yawn, and look over at Konkemaru, who nods slowly, distant, somehow.

"Yes, you baka! I said I'd tell you, didn't I?" Bon grumbled, and stifled a chuckle with a 'tch' before crossing his arms, looking to the side. I pouted, and huffed, poking Bon's cheek.

"N-No need to be mean, Bonnie!" I protest, and he smiles faintly, a laugh rumbling in his throat. I smile more, and let my finger retract before I look back at Koko, who tugged on my sleeve, trying to get my attention.

"So where do we go now?" Koko asks, her arms being flexed, looking over at Bon. Bon then scowls, something dark in his eyes as he looks down. I gently touch his forearm, and he looks at me with a hint of a smile, and looks back at everyone, his frown appearing again, and his figure stiffening.

"Follow me." Bon finally mumbled, turning on his heel and starting towards the exit.

Obeying I fell in line with Konkemaru. "You okay?" I asked him, and glanced over at the younger boy, observing him, reading his aura. My parents did this while training an animal, reading its emotions. I rarely use it now, only to try and help a friend. He nodded, a shy smile on his face.

"Uhuh, it's just that I'm not too glad on going back to my home. There isn't much to look forward to." He explained, and so I nodded, a sad smile no my face.

"I know how that feels like." I whisper back to him, though it seemed like I didn't say anything. We then stopped after a few moments of silence, arriving at the door of a compound of houses.

"This is huge!" Koko and Rin cheer and laugh, looking around the front yard. I sigh a little, amused but embarrassed.

"G-Gomen!" I yelp, seeing someone hit Rin on the head in a scolding, along with Koko. I pulled them back by the collar of their shirts, and then chastised them myself.

"Look who came back, Pa!" A loud voice bellowed, and so I turned around to get bumped into by a blonde, with a smirk and mischievous eyes. "Dammit, she turned around before I could examine~" He whined, and my cheeks flushed before I got pulled into a woman with dark hair and familiar eyes.

"Baka!" She scolds, grabbing the boy by the ear and smacking him. "I'm so sorry about him, Nat-can." She smiles, and wraps her arms around my figure. A name resurfaced in my head, along with faint images of her figure- younger, probably by a decade or so- bringing a few young children cookies, smiling and cleaning up after them after a few chides of disapproval but playful teasing.

" …" I murmur, and smile.

"Now, Ryuuji Suguro, why did you pierce your ears and dye your hair?! You're more like a girl than a man!" She grabs his ear, making him yelp and try to get out of her grip. I giggle, and she turns back to me. "I have something to give to you." She smiles as she pulls something out of a box, and hands me a golden chain with a locket that had my clan's symbol; a flower in bloom. With trembling fingers, I took it, and placed it over my head. "A-Arigatou, ."

"I'm hungry!" Rin exclaims and smiles cheekily, looking around for a kitchen now. I giggle and follow everyone into the house, helping with unpacking and finding the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm gonna defeat Satan, not you!" Bon's voice blared through the room like a siren. Rin and Bon have been arguing about it ever since Rin had been asked why he had become an Exorcist.

"No, I am!" Rin protested, and I bit my lip, picking at the shrimps in my curry, trying to not let this affect me. I was trying so hard not to let this get to me; their dream-though innocent and ambitious- would bring such a horrible fate to them.

"I am, no matter what!" That sentence snapped through my self-control, and I had broken down in my calmness, erupting into my emotions headfirst. The two argued, until a noise silenced everyone. I had stood up and slammed my hands on the table.

"Nat…" Rin started softly, his voice soft, as if he was trying to tame me, the Tamer.

"No. You listen to me. You both listen to me. Don't say you'll defeat Satan. Don't ever say that! If you became too powerful, you would deem as a threat to him. He'll hurt you. He'll hurt everyone you love and care about. He'll give you pain! So...so much...pain. Right here!" I clench my fist as I hold it against my chest, and stare down at my curry. "And no one will be able to fix it. No one. No matter how hard they will try, they'll never be able to take off that armor, never able to heal the broken bits and pieces. And...And I don't want you-I don't want anyone to feel that!" Tears filled my eyes, and I looked up, bowing as everyone stared at me. "Gomenasai." I whisper, and ran out of the room, out of the house, away. Just away from Rin, away from Bon. Away from Yukio, Shima, Konkemaru. Away from Shura, Izumo, Shiemi, Koko. Away from everyone.

* * *

Rin's POV:

"Nat!" I yelled after her, before frowning and punching the wall. Shiemi yelped and tried to stop me, but I felt too out of control to care. I was supposed to protect her, not hurt her. I looked over at Yukio, who had sighed and gotten up from his seat, bowing.

"Sumimasen, I have to take my leave to do some work." He smiles sheepishly, and bows again before towards the door, sliding it open and striding out. My fists clenched even tighter, and I ran out of the room along with him, grabbing him by the collar.

"Why aren't you helping Nat?!" I growl at him, anger in my eyes and stomach. He looked at me, wearily and tired.

"Because you need to comfort her. You said the thing that hurt her. You know her better than anyone else, better than me." He answered calmly, and pried my hands off his collar, smoothing it and closing the door to his room behind him.

I slumped against the wall, and looked up at the ceiling, listening to the soft patter of the droplets of rain on the roof. "I'm sorry, Nat." I mumbled, and got up, before heading back to the dining room.


	11. The Truth, and a Promise

Bon's POV:

Everyone had dispersed into chaos.

"What do we do?" Shiemi tugged on Izumo's sleeve, looking at her fearfully. She glared over at me, and huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Ask him, it was his fault." I heard her mumble. Instead of retorting back to her comment, I stayed silent for a few moments, thinking of what Nat had said. _What did she mean? How could she know how that felt? How could anyone know how that would feel? That would only be possible if…_ Something popped into my head and my eyes widened, my teeth gnawing at my lip in guilt. _She went through it. Should I tell her I know? Well...what do I know? I know that something happened that she won't tell me, and that she's gone through Satan. Damn you, Satan._ That thought crossed my mind and I frowned, quickly blinking a few times before feeling a hand whack my head. "Ite!" I yelp, and glare at Konkemaru.

"G-Gomen. But go after her! She needs your apology!" He clenches his fists. "She's a nice person, and I don't want her to be sad!" He turns on his heel, and runs out of the room, a coat in his hand as he pushes open the door to show that it was pouring outside.

"O-Oi! Wait!" I tried to stop him, but Shima grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back. "What're you doing?!" I yell at him, and frown.

"Don't try to stop him. He...He really cares about her. He knows more about her than any of us, probably. He would be the best to comfort her, besides you." He explained with a soft voice, though it seemed like he was trying not to yell. "But you should still go after her too."

I nodded, and quickly started to get a coat on and grabbed another coat after getting whacked in the head again, and rushed out of the door.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I felt pain. I felt pain as I stumbled over the rocky path, knowing that it was dangerous to run along the mountain trails. I felt sharp pulses of pain race up my legs as I tripped over a rock, plummeting down the side of the steep hill. I felt the grabs from the ground as I tumbled down the hill, stopping when I had skidded to a stop in the middle of the hill. I was now covered in bruises and scratches, but the thing that hurt the most was the wound that was in the heart.

"Nat!" I heard someone shout, and so I looked up to see the worried face of Bon. "Nat, damn it! Nat!" I heard him holler, his strong, yet shaky, voice ringing through the mountains. I didn't make a sound; I could not move my head without shivers of nerves running down my spine.

I heard skids and I felt rough-yet warm- hands grab my legs and torso, pulling me up. "God, Nat! You...you worried me. A damn lot!" Bon growled, and set me down on a bench as he stopped, then crouched in front of me as I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "I...I kinda pieced things together… and…" Bon trailed off, figuring that I knew the rest, in which I did.

"Y-you know?" I asked softly, my eyes widening and my fingers and knees trembling. I bit my lip until blood crept from my lips, slipping down to my chin, until a finger wiped it away gently. I looked over at Bon, who looked back at me with a faint smile. "I guess I should tell you. But...But I should tell Rin…" I mumble, and blush a lot before pulling my legs to my chest, seeing that Bon was leaning on my bare legs. My skirt only covered until above my knees, and I had my shoes off when I ran out of the house.

"About your past, huh? Why didn't you tell anyone of us? We could try to help you through it." He protests, crossing his arms. I frown, and look at him, shaking my head.

"You don't understand. I couldn't. I can't-can't even think of my past without crying...and-and I don't want to worry anyone, so-"

"So nothing! You worried me-Y-you worried us!" He blushed as he said this, looking at me with fierceness and something else. It seemed like protectiveness? I do not know. I slowly nod.

"Alright." I whimper. "Can-Can I tell you when I'm ready? I'm not ready right now." I state softly, and he nods, before taking a branch that was sharpened by the blowing winds, impaling it into his hand. I gasped, and started to grab the branch, ripping it from his hand and throwing it away from him, pinning him. "W-What're you doing?!" I yell at him, keeping my hand on his arm. I blushed a lot seeing the position I was in right now, but shook that thought away as I looked at his hand.

"What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm making a swear. It's how I do it." He states calmly, though his cheeks were a faint pink. He then grabbed my hand, and pressed his against mine. I could feel the blood softly tracing along my lines of my palm, dripping down to my forearm. "I promise to fill that hole in your heart. I promise for myself, and for all of us." He announces firmly, and I blink a few times, surprised and very...happy. Tears filled my eyes, and so I started to sob, my other hand curling into his shirt, my head pressing against his neck, my forehead against his chin.

"B-Bon...Arigatou!" I cry out, and start to sniffle, my eyes closing and my figure curled against Bon's in an embrace, falling asleep.


	12. The Mystery of Nat and the Prison Breach

The Next Night-Nat's POV:

Something had provoked Rin. Not like the regular yelling match, I mean that his emotions were pushed to the edge, and his demon side was forced out. We were trying to restrain him, trying to buy time until people came. Shiemi was trying to gather herbs for a sleeping pill, and so we were protecting her. I then was pinned down by him against a wall, and then I saw him be grabbed by the neck by multiple men, and I started to embrace Rin, holding him close to me.

"Rin..It's me...Rin, I know you're there!" I finally yell, and he holds out his arm, as if he was going to hug me back. Instead, his claws raked against my side, shoving me with force into the tree nearby. I felt my heart plummet as I felt my back slam against the tree trunk, and I coughed up blood as I saw him getting pulled into a metal box. "R-Rin…" I whispered, trying to get up but crying out in pain, my right leg feeling numb. Immediately falling back down, I started to crawl towards them.

"Nat!" I heard someone yell, and I felt myself get picked up by Bon, and I felt myself cough up blood as I wheezed a little.

"Rin...Rin…" I whisper to myself, tears escaping my eyes. "Rin...have...to get...Rin…" I whimper, then my eyes droop closed, and I fell asleep.

* * *

Shiemi's POV:

When we came back to the compound, Bon set Nat down on his futon, ripping off the bottom half of her shirt. I blinked a few times surprised, and squeaked when he then just tore the whole fabric of her shirt off. Closing my eyes, my cheeks were a flushed red as I quickly closed Konkemaru and Shima's eyes, though he was staring at Nat's chest, though she did not have much of a chest, a little averaged. She had a toned, tan skinned torso, and so Izumo hit Bon multiple times until he stopped blushing.

"Baka! Baka! Baka!" She scolds, hitting him with a hardcover book. Bon kept on yelping, and so while ignoring them, I observed Nat's wounds. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands.

"G-Guys, get me some water, and Nee, get me something for poison! Quickly!" I shriek, and everyone stops to look at me.

"What?" Konkemaru starts confused, and then frowns seeing her wound. "Alright!" He quickly jogs out dragging the two guys with him. I turned her on her side so I could examine her wounds more, and Izumo gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Koko frowned, blinking a few times confused.

"What is that?!" She yelps, and looks closer at something on Nat's back. I frown, and concentrate before applying the herbs on the claw marks. "S-Shiemi, you should look at this." Koko sputters, and so I do so, then gasping and covering my mouth with my hands.

"W-What...Oh Kami." I whisper, and look a little harder.

_What is that?_

* * *

Bon's POV:

After Shiemi examined Nat's wounds and tended to them, she seemed more uneasy and confused, mumbling to herself and sighing.

"So, do we have a plan to get Rin back?" Shima asks with his hands behind his head. Izumo scowls at him, and crosses her arms.

"If we did, we would've already gone after him, baka!" She snorts and crosses her arms.

"Bickering will get us no where. Should one of us stay to look after Nat?" I asked, and the room got silent. "Or will she just be taken care of by the-"

"W-We're getting Rin...back, right?" I hear a voice that was soft and weak flow through the room like a breeze. I turned around and my eyes widened.

"Nat, you're supposed to be in bed!" I scold, and Shiemi quickly gets up.

"D-Do you need your bandages changed, Nat-san?" Shiemi pipes up, and looks at her worried. Nat shakes her head, and smiles a little, kneeling down next to us.

"I-I'm fine. Anyways, there's going to be a tight guard, considering they'll be imprisoning Rin. So we need to split up, and considering how that box is made that he was put in, he won't be able to come out other than someone else's will. S-Shiemi, I think you'd do best for going in. He...He and I aren't as close as you and him are. You really care about him, so please take care of my brother for me." Nat bows her head, and Sheimi blushes before smiling a little.

"A-Alright, Nat-san."

Nat nodded and smiled a little more, before continuing with the plans. "N-Now we'll need the people who use weapons to go cover for the two going in, so Koko, Konkemaru, Izumo, and Shiemi will continue while Shima, Bon and I hold the guards off." She smiled a little, and ran a hand through the loose hairs of her messy bun, holding her sword as she got up, and stretched a little. "Ready to go?" She smiles a little at all of us, holding out her hand.

Placing it on top of hers, I nodded. "Always, we're gonna show those guards that they don't get our friend." I growl, and she smile a little before everyone else joins in, and so Nat starts to jog towards the place where they had kept Rin hostage.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I bit my lip as I limped over to the meeting place. "Go on, we'll keep them off for you guys." I state firmly, standing in between Shima and Bon. I crouched a little, my cub on my shoulder. "Ready to go, Haru?" I whisper to the cub, and she nods with a growl, hopping off my shoulder and slowly transforming into her full snow leopard form. "Ready you guys?" I ask softly as I see Bon heft up his gun, and Shima twirl his staff around.

"Born ready." Shima chuckles, and so we hear the clatter of the feet of the guards, and then we charge into the fight to protect our friend-my brother.

After a few soldiers had laid on the ground, I looked over at Shima and smiled a little, holding my side. With my protest, he then picked me up, setting me on his back. "O-Oi!" I squeak in surprise, and squirm. "P-Put me down!" I argue, and blush as I try to kick him.

"Just let it happen, Nattie-chan." He cooed, and smiled as he started to walk to the chamber of the main cell. Bon huffed as he crossed his arms, looking on ahead. "Nattie-chan, remember when Bon proposed to that girl?" He asked, looking up at me. I tensed up but nodded, biting my lip as hard as I could setting my head on his shoulder.

"Y-Yes." I mumble, and close my eyes hard, clenching my fists.

"He did that to practice when he does it for you." He lowered his voice into a whisper, and I froze, blinking a few times before feeling blood rush up to my cheeks, my lips barely able to sustain a squeal as I nestle my head in his shoulder.

"R-Really?" I whisper back, and he nods before laughing.

"He wants to, and he's certain, but he's afraid you'd say no." He chuckles. "Stupid, really. How you two always deny your feelings. Even when you two were young, I tell you." He smiles cheekily, and I blush more before leaning my forehead against his shoulder.

"S-Shush." I murmur, and then feel myself get lifted off, opening my eyes to see the familiar back of the blonde and brunette head of Bon.

"Enough chit-chat over there, I really don't wanna know what it's about." He grumbled, and shoved his hands in his pockets, my legs in the loop of his arms. I smile a little, and look at him.

"Y-Y'know, I c-can walk on my own." I complain with a blush. He only shrugs, and blushes faintly.

"There's nothing better to do, and I'm used to it, so it's fine." His lips quirk up into a quick, faint smile and then pull back down.

I giggle a little, and then close my eyes as I lean my head back against his shoulder, falling back into an exhausted slumber.


	13. To Protect, and Introduction to Shopping

A Few Weeks Later- Nat's POV:

I clung onto Bon's sleeve as I was walking in the ordinary academy. I did not like the looks some guys gave me, or how they looked up and down my legs and figure. I hid behind Bon, since we had the same schedule. I peeked out from behind his sleeve, to see that someone was swaggering over to us. Someone smacked me on the bum, making me yelp and jump away, my cheeks burning as I looked around. It happened again, and so I squeaked and covered myself with my bag. "W-who's doing that?" I asked softly, and a boy smirked.

"Look what we got here, boys?" He purrs, and pokes my nose, making me blush and scurry back.

"O-Oi!" I blush even more, and squirm.

"You know you wanna come with us."

"C'mon, it'll be fun."

"It won't even take long."

I blinked away tears and tried to get out of their way, but I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Are these asswipes botherin' ya?" He asks grufflly. I nod, and blush before feeling tears come from my eyes as I see him push them off, threatening them and sighing. "Idiots, hittin' on a girl like-"

"B-Bon." I interrupt him, my arms wrapping around him from behind as I press my head into his back. "Arigatou."

He smiles a little, and turns so he's facing me before hugging me back, hefting my figure onto his back. "C'mon, we gotta go to class. Wipe those up, we don't wanna ruin the pretty face." He jokes, and I giggle a little, blushing as I obey. We come to class and we sit down, me in the front and him at the back, waiting and talking with others until the teacher comes, signalling the start of class.

* * *

After School- The Mall- Nat's POV:

We had a training session at the beach near my home today, so they advised us to wear something like a bathing suit. I was now at a clothing shop with Shiemi, Izumo, and Koko. I observed the different types of bikinis, tankinis, and just different things they had. My cheeks flushed, seeing a very...skimpy...bikini, and I closed my eyes with my hands, my cheeks a burning red. "W-Why're we doing this?" I ask my self.

"W-Well we don't have much time, so I guess we should just choose something…" Shiemi murmurs, and so she starts to look too. Izumo slowly picks a navy blue striped bikini top, with a plain navy blue bottom.

"This might as well work." I hear her mumble before going into the changing room to check if it was the right size.

_W-What am I supposed to do? I don't exactly know what size I am, nor do I know much about this stuff. I usually just got things from Shiro that was from a student of his._ I let out a sigh, and sit down on the bench that was used for trying out shoes.

"Need help?" I hear someone ask with a soft chuckle, and so I look up, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment as I nod yes. I see Koko laughing softly as she plops down next to me, and she holds out the tag of a bikini that she has in her hand. "See this?" She points to the letter 'M'. I nod slowly, and blush more.

"D-Doesn't that stand for Medium? And S for Small, and L for Large, and so on?" I ask, confused. "But what size am I?" I mumble, embarrassed not knowing this. She nods, and smiles a little.

"Uhuh. You would probably be a S for both." She smiles. "I'm an M for the top, M for the bottom. So yeah, I'm M for both." She grins as she holds out an orange bikini top that had red flames from the bottom to the top, and a plain orange bottom. She gets up before holding out her hand. "C'mon, I'll show you some that are your size." She pulls me up, leading me to an area that had smaller tops and bottoms. "Go look around, see something you like." She giggles a little, looking towards the entrance. "They're supposed to come in any time by now. We gotta dress to impress!" She cheers, her cheeks slightly flushing.

I nod slowly, and start to slowly change into an olive green ruffled bandeau top, with a pair of olive green shorts that went to the mid-thigh, and the same color bottom underneath. There were golden and silver links that went from the center of the hem of the top, going down to the left hip of the shorts. My cheeks flushed faintly, and I nodded, as if deciding that I would wear this. Entering the fitting room, I started to undress and pulled on my bottoms and top, linking the chains together, blushing. Peeking out of the fitting room, I squeaked, seeing everyone-including the guys-were there.

"C'mon, Nat! Everyone's waiting for you!" I heard the familiar voice of Yukio scold me, and so I nodded quickly peeking out again, and blushing a lot before shooting back.

"Come out or I'm coming in, Onee-chan!" I hear Rin then state impatiently. I squeal and blush even more. "That's it!" He bellows before plowing in, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.

"O-Oi!" I squeal and start to kick him, trying to keep my shorts from riding up too much. "Put me down!" I yelp, and blush from embarrassment. "Put me down or I'm going to punish you!" I then pipe, and he immediately stops setting me down. I smile a little and quickly change in the fitting room, and come back out with a blush on my cheeks as I quickly pay, and jog out to the van.


	14. Harsh Training, and an Attack

Nat's POV:

They were pushing us the hardest they ever have before. Most of our bodies were aching and we were all panting, facing each other in endless sparring. Today seemed a little...off, though. There was a more chilling feeling than an exhausted feeling, and though we were exhausted, we were also cautious of something of the unknown. I felt a chill scamper down my spine, and my eyes widened. _No_, I thought as I saw an unfamiliar figure come towards us. _A-Amaimon…_ I whimper, and unsheathe my sword before jumping into the air on Haru, and tackle him plummeting into the water.

I felt something impale my leg and I gasped out, my body jerking as I pulled out one of his claws from my thigh. I resurfaced and got Haru, returning her to her world before feeling hands circle my throat, holding me up to the sky. I wheezed for breath, then felt it come out of me when I saw the world flying from me, then I tasted sand in my mouth. I stood up, wiping my mouth of the blood in my mouth. Rubbing my head, I felt a warm liquid trickle from the back of my head. Blood. I started to get woozy, and I collapsed on my knees.

"Nat!" I heard someone shout, and I raised up a hand.

"No...don't…" I mumbled out, but heard the sharp pierce of a scream slice through the air. "Izumo…" I whimper, and start to feel tears run down my cheeks as I now see her body lying by a few rocks, her head tilted to the side, her eyes closed. "Yamete…" I whisper, feeling my moves weaken.

"Izumo!" The voice of Shima filled the void of silence, and the thuds of his feet against the sand clattered through my mind. The grunt he gave when he was thrown into the ocean was the next sign of defeat.

"Y-Yamete." I moan, my form still aching from the class before and the impact of the hit. I see Rin, and my eyes widen. "Yamete...Yamete...Yamete, Yamete, Yamete…" I repeat, as if those words would save my life. I see him whack Amaimon hard with his sword sheath, but instead of hearing the grunt of pain from Amiamon, I hear the shriek as I see Rin's figure skidding along the sand, grains of earth scraping against him and stopping him when he hit a boulder.

"Yamete…" I started louder, images flooding through my head. Their cries, their whimpers, their screams as Satan tortured all of them My family. My comrades. My home. He destroyed it all. "Yamete…" I shakily yell, but I could barely hear it. I see Yukio hold out his guns, but with a flash of green, he was on the ground clutching his bloody knee. "Yamete...Yamete!" I cry, and start to unsteadily get up.

Next, I see Koko run with her sword, it changing its form each time they stroke; one time with lightning sparkling with energy; one time with fire warming and blazing over its target; one with a flood of water; and one with the crumbs of Earth. She fell to the ground after exhaustion from our harsh training and when Amaimon had slit her chest, causing her to gasp out and fall to the ground. "Yamete!" I shout, my eyes now filling with anger and...and hatred. Not again. It cannot happen. Not again.

When I see Bon run forward and start to chant, I fall on my knees, my body weak from the impact. I hear him roar in pain as a claw protruded from his arm.

"_Yamete! YAMETE!_" I hear myself scream, the ground under me giving way as I sprout from the ground into a jump like a bud blooming into a flower. I see a golden rayed green aura around my figure, but I ignore it as I stab Amaimon in the arm, which he bellows in pain and outrage. "_YAMETE! YAMETE! YAMETE!_ Yamete...Yamete! Yamete…" I stabbed him each time I screamed those words, my tears mixing with the blood on his face, his arms, his legs, his body.

I looked at my hands; they were bloody, scarlet tears dripping from each wound of Amaimon. My lip trembled as I stopped stabbing him, seeing he had grown unconscious. My knees buckled, and so I fell to the ground, starting to sob._I__was no better than Satan. I had almost killed someone._Tears fell from my eyes down my cheeks, dripping from my chin to my knees as I sobbed.

"Nat...Nat…" I hear someone whisper to me, and so I look up to see Koko, who was laying next to me.

"Koko! Koko, please!" I shiver in relief as she smiles a little. "Shiemi! Here, quick! She has a fatal wound!" I cry out, and start to wrap bandages around her frame, tears wetting the gauze.

"Call me Koyalee… Sayanara." She whispered. I blinked a few times, but then relaxed, smiling out of the tears I had shed.

"Alright, Koyalee." I whisper back, and get up, seeing Shiemi start to take care of everyone. I run straight to Rin, and hold his head in my lap as I look at his wounds. "B-Baka! Baka…" I weep, and start to tend to him, though my back and legs ached, along with my throat.

"Onee-chan, why're you crying?" I heard him whisper, and I shook my head, wiping my eyes with my index finger.

"I'm not crying, Onii-san, I'm just yawning." I smile a little, before squeezing his hand. "I'll be right back." I say to him gently, jogging to Izumo.

"Baka...Nat...why'd you...go off like that?" I heard her murmur, her typical scowl on her face.

"I-I don't care about that! Where does it hurt the most?" I ask her, and look at her. She only winced when I pressed my hand on her neck, and so I started to heal that part as best as I could.

"Baka...Nat." I heard her chuckle softly. I sigh a little, and then go to Konkemaru, who was also checking on everyone. After seeing his scared expression, I go to Bon, his arm getting bandaged but his breathing heavy.

"H-He got impaled with poison. I-I don't know how to treat it, it's different than other poisons." I hear Shiemi explain softly, and so I nodded, taking her spot.

"G-Go with the others, I'll take care of him." I command. She nods, and starts to jog towards Yukio.

"Nat?" I hear Bon sputter, and I look at him with tears in my eyes. "D-Don't talk right now, Ryuuji. Don't strain yourself." I instruct him, and blush as I start to murmur words as I press my hands on his chest.

"G-Gomen…" I hear him state weakly. I look at him with tears spilling down my cheeks. "B-Baka! I t-told you to stop talking! Don't be sorry for anything Ryuuji, I don't want you to have regrets." I bite my lip in concentration. _Damnit. I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect anyone of them. I'm horrible. I should've taken him down when I had the chance. I shouldn't have been weak_, I scold myself. A faint glow started to bloom from Bon's chest, and so I looked at him.

"But...I...couldn't keep...my promise...to you." He mumbles. Tears fill my eyes, but I let them fall down my cheeks to my chin as I swallow down a sob.

"Y-Yamete! You're...You're not gonna die! I won't let you, Ryuuji Suguro!" I cry out, and start to focus harder, putting more energy into the healing. I look down to see a slight smile on his face, his head leaning back. "Yamete! R-Ryuuji! Ryuuji Suguro! Ryuuji!" I start to sob again, my fingers pressing against his chest. "Ryuuji! Ryuuji, come on!" I cry harder, and start to breath heavily as I felt my energy sap away from me. "R-Ryuuji…" I whimper, then see the glow on his chest fade, as if it was being absorbed by him. I pant as I look at him hopefully, wanting him to wake up and call me a baka, to scold me into thinking of such a thing. "...Baka…" I hear a weak, yet chastising, teasing voice rasp. I look down, and my eyes fill with happy tears.

"Ryuuji...R-ryuuji...Ryuuji!" I wail, and when he tries to sit up, I hug him tightly, my head buried in his hair. "Ryuuji!" I bawl, and sniffle a little, still crying into his hair. "Baka! Baka, baka baka!" I scold him, and gently tug on his hair each time. "D-Don't do that to me again!" I look at him with glassy eyes. He chuckles softly, and places a slack-but comforting, warm- hand on my head, and gently flattens out my hair before letting it fall back to his side.

"I won't. I promise."


	15. Staying the Night and a Bath

That Night-Nat's POV:

I stood in front of my home, letting out a soft breath as I looked back behind me. Bon was leaning against Shima, who had a bandage down his left leg. Izumo was helped up by Shiemi, Konkemaru was in the front with Kok-Koyalee, and Rin was being helped by Yukio. I smiled softly, and gently pressed against the door of the house, sliding it sideways. Before doing so, though, I turned back at the people waiting eagerly for warmth and baths to soothe their aching frames.

"I need to warn you all of something first." I start off softly, looking over at them. "First thing you should know, is that you do not touch any of the animals in this house. They won't trust you before I tell them that you're not a threat. After what had happened, they're not very trustworthy." I cough a little, and lean against the wall. I was the only one who had not gotten medical treatment, because I wanted to do it myself. "Second; I don't think it's a good idea to wander around the property. It's really dangerous, and without guidance from someone who knows the territory, you could easily get hurt." I let out a soft sigh. "Ready?"

When they nod, I slip the door open after Haru hops off my shoulder, and I smile a little, singing out, "Tadaima." I slipped off my mud-caked shoes, and let out a soft breath. "Come on in, everyone." I suggest, stifling a giggle as they see what I meant.

"Woah, look at her!" Koyalee exclaims, causing most of the animals to perk up. After I close the door, I quickly jump in front, causing them to relax.

"Come here, everyone." I call to the animals, and so they obey, seating themselves around me. "They're not a threat, they're kind people, they're my family now too. So please take care of them too now, onegai!" I dip my head, and stand up. "Now, I'll show you where you'll sleep." I smile and start towards the hallway once everyone had their shoes off. "J-Just wait out here for a moment while I get the futons ready!" I blush out of embarrassment, forgetting to clean up since the last visit. I quickly swept the place, and set out four futons for the girls' bedroom, and placed five mats in the boys' bedroom before going back out into the living room. "A-Alright, the beds are ready so I'll show you where you guys'll sleep." I smile a little, and start to guide them towards the two rooms. Helping set Bon down, I start to blush, realizing something. "R-Ryuuji?" I stuttered, my cheeks burning even more.

"Yeah?" He stumbles with his words as he says this.

"U-um...well... W-why do you not scold me when I call you Ryuuji?" I start softly, then look down, fiddling with my fingers. With a shrug, he blushes faintly.

"I don't mind much, it doesn't have much of a bad ring as when other people say it." He scratches his jaw, and seems deep in thought. I nod a little, and smile faintly as I get up, covering him with a blanket.

"Okay. Would you still like me to call you Bon?" I ask, and crouch again next to him, putting my arms on my knees. He chuckles as he shakes his head, looking up at me with a slight quirk in his lip.

"Nah. Ryuuji's fine." I nod with a soft smile, and get up, dusting myself off.

"Okay, and also, there's another thing." I blush more, blowing some hair out of my face.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"W-well... After all of us take our baths, I h-have some clothes for you all to change into so I can clean up the old uniforms." I sputter, and quickly get up, turning on my heel jogging out of the room after chirping a 'See you,' and once I am out of the room, I let out a breath, my darkened cheeks starting to pale. I set the folded kimonos in front of the boys' bath room, and started back to the girls' bedroom.

* * *

"Ah, this is so NICE..." Koyalee leans back into the steaming water, sitting across from me and next to Izumo. I sat next to Shiemi, her turned to her side so I could help her wash her back and hair.

"I'm glad you like it." I stifle a giggle, and start to softly scrub Shiemi's scalp as I washed her hair. I had my hair down, it gently lapping against the water. It looked like rays of black darkness when I let it flow down in the water. once finishing with her hair, I pulled my hair to my right side, starting to thread through the tangly curls with soap, my back against the wall. It had been a long time since I had gone into the bath with someone else. It had been an even longer time that I did not need to hide my back from others. I remembered the last time I had been in the bath with many other women; it was when I was about two years old, with my mother and grandmother.

"Nattie-chan, can you wash my back?" Koyalee's voice jerked me from my thoughts. I nodded, and smiled a little as I swam to the other side of the bath, getting up onto the ledge behind her, starting to gently scrub and rinse her back.

"I-I wonder what the boys are doing," Shiemi mused, her cheeks flushed slightly as she let her nose get submerged in the water. I shrug, wondering that too. As I wondered about what was happening on the other side of the wall, I just shrugged and continued to help the younger girl.

* * *

Rin's POV:

As I started to get into the water, I heard Shima's voice echo through the vast room.

"Guys, do you wanna peek at the girls?" He smiles evilly. "We'd have a good view!" Edging closer to the wall, he smiled widely, his cheek against the wooden wall. "Guys, I found a peephole!" He cheered, and looked into the faint hole that he had found. By the way I saw his eyes widen and his cheeks flush, I could tell that he had found something- more like someone. "W-woah." He mumbled, and blood started to trickle from his nose.

"What is it? Who... Who are you looking at?" I start to feel my throat rumble in a growl. _Friend or not, no one will look at my sister, o-or at Shiemi._ My cheeks flushed, immediately picturing her like that._ C-Chigau! _I scolded myself, and looked back at Shima, whose cheeks were a red.

"N-Nat's out of the water so you have a perfect-" Before I could hit him, I saw Shima on the ground holding his head. "Ite!" He squeaked, and pouted.

"Don't look at her!" Bon scowled, his cheeks reddening. "N-not that I care or something..." He trailed off, and ran a hand through his now stringy hair. I bit my tongue to try and not laugh at him, so I leaned my ear against the wall.

"I wonder what they're talking' about..." I murmur.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I sat back next to Shiemi, and blushed a lot when Izumo smirked and asked me a certain question.

"So did you and the idiot Aria hook up?" She chuckles as my cheeks flush and smiles. "I guess not." I nod a little.

"W-well... I... I just think that someone else is cute." My smile widens a little. "I-I mean, Konkemaru is so adorable! With his ears and he's just so tiny I could just..." I blush as I hug nothing to my chest. Koyalee laughs, and Izumo sighs facepalming.

"I didn't mean like that, Baka." She grumbled. I cocked my head to the side, and heard a yowl as Haru jumped into the bath, as her full snow leopard form.

"Haru!" I yelp, and try to get her out of the bath. I picked her up by her scruff, and heaved her onto the tile floor. Her fur was matted to her skin, and so she shook herself out, spraying us with droplets of water, and buds of soap.

"Oi! Bad kitty!" Koyalee coughed out, before looking at the cub with a glare, though she immediately burst into a fit of giggles. Haru's fur as twice her size, her figure looking more like an angry ball of fluff than a cat. Giggling, I picked her up after wrapping myself in a towel.

"I'm going to get dressed and take care of the animals. I'll see you later." I assure them, and get up before starting to slide to the door, drying my feet as I went into the changing room that was a chain of the bath room.

* * *

Dressed in a green kimono with golden Sakura petals sprayed over the right side, I had successfully changed into clothes and dried Haru. Now, I had a lantern in my hand as I carefully stepped over branches and pebbles, following the beaten trail to the stables where the horses-another section of my family-live.

I pressed my fingertips against the door of the stables, it starting to creak open. The whinnies of the horses welcomed me, and so I smiled back, walking to each stall and patting each horse on the head or neck, giving each one affection that was long overdue. "Tomorrow, I'm going to bring the guests over here to ride with you all, but tonight I'll just ride Ramses to help his stumble." A few horses snorted in acknowledgement, and I smiled before pulling on the pole that was the lock to Ramses' stall, pushing it open when the pole was free.

Clucking my tongue, I held out my hand to Ramses, who instead nuzzled against my front, as in his own greeting. Ramses was my grandfather's companion, the one who was the husband of Emiko, my grandmother on my mother's side. "Hi, boy. I missed you." I cooed, and giggled when he snorted against my hair, grabbing the rubber band with his teeth and breaking it.

"Oi!" I smiled faintly, kissing above his eye. "I know you like my hair better down." I giggle lightly, before pulling him by his halter out of the stall, pulling on his reins over his halter. "There. I'm gonna do bareback this time, okay?" I whisper to him, and start to get on him by climbing onto the little ledge in his stall, jumping onto his back. "Alle, Ramses!" I call, kicking his flank as he started to walk slowly out of the stall.

* * *

Koko's POV:

Sitting on the futon nearest to the door, I crossed my arms, annoyed. "She said she'd come back, what's taking her so long?!" I whine, and cover my head with a pillow. Izumo let out a soft chuckle, rolling her eyes.

"Jeez, Koko. Just be patient," She teased, smirking lightly. I scowled and snorted as I looked up from under the pillow.

"Shuddup, you know that I can't do that." I pout, and look over at Haru, who was licking her paw and then running it over her face. "Oi, kitty. Where'd Nattie-oneechan go?" I question with a determined expression on my face. The cat only huffed, licking her paw more, not answering. "I guess you're in a bad mood." I grumble, crossing my arms.

"Why wouldn't I be? My master left me and I know where she's going but she didn't take me." Haru's tail flicked back and forth, her violet specked blue eyes narrow and angry. I blinked a few times, and started to freak out.

"T-The... Cat... Yukio! Rin!" I shriek, jumping back from the animal who seemed even more irritated.

"What?! Who got hurt?!" Yukio frantically breathed out, only in a pair of boxers. My cheeks flushed, and I squeaked in surprise, covering my eyes.

"T-the cat..." I whimper, and crawl to him and wrap my arms and legs around his left leg.

"K-Koko! Not in a big shirt!" I hear Izumo call out blushing as she closed her eyes. "Baka! Baka! Baka!" I then hear her yell, hitting Rin with a book on his head.

"O-Oi! Why' you hitting me?!" He squeaks as he starts to run from her.

"Because I can't hit a teacher, that's why! Baka, Baka!" She screeches, throwing the book at him.

"Oi!" Rin cried, and ran behind Shiemi. "Shiemi help me!" He cries, his fingers make a fist in her soft green kimono, with different colored flowers on its hem. She giggles lightly, slowly taking his hands from her kimono.

"I-I think it's best if you just leave for now, Rin." She smiles at him, and nudges him out of the room. Yukio blushes as he quickly pries me off, holding my shoulders.

"Calm down. Nat's companion can talk in your mind. That's what Kuro does. Only the difference is that Haru can talk to everyone, and Kuro can only talk to Rin." He explains, stifling a chuckle.

Scowling, I rolled my eyes as I pushed him back out of the room. "Whatever." I sat back down, and continued to wait for Nat.


	16. A Pair of Blue Eyes, and a Dream

Nat's POV:

Galloping on Ramses, I halted, seeing a girl with cream colored hair and the bluest of blue eyes staring down at an animal, her hands covered with blood and her bottom half of her tattered shirt. I hopped off Ramses, patting his flank once before letting him graze as I walked slowly to the girl.

"S-Stay back!" The girl whimpered, holding out her blood-stained hands. I dropped my sword, and kicked it away from me. She stopped and looked at it, and scurried back. "You!" She hissed, her voice now demonic and feral. "You're an exorcist!" She hissed, and bared her teeth at me. The poor girl looked at me with her blue eyes, and my breath caught in her throat. They were the same as Onii-san and Nii-san's. They were the same blue. Could she be…

"I won't hurt you. Look, I'll show you." I call out a familiar- a sea serpent that had blue eyes and pale white scales for its skin, that nuzzled against my hand, in a regular, small snake form. "If anything, I want to be your friend." I say to her comfortingly. She only shook her head, and her lip trembled The girl looked only about the age of 14, though she was so...frail. Tiny. Like a child. I took a step forward, then another, slowly, to make sure that I did not startle her. She stayed there, as if she was standing her ground for meat.

"B-but the others...they tried to hurt me...tried to...tried to kill me. I-I don't know what I did wrong! I-I'm just looking for my family." She whimpered, her frame curled into a ball with her hands hugging her knees, her head in her hands. I knelt down in front of her, pulling her figure into my chest, and into my embrace. "D-don't-" She stopped, seeing her voice was muffled against my chest. "Nani...What're you doing? You'll get hurt and-"

"I won't get hurt. I promise. I'll stay by you, and I'll be your family. We'll be a good family. I promise it." I whisper against her silky strands. Her eyes water, and she starts to bawl, her hands clutching at my shirt as she sobbed into my chest. Her shoulders shook as she cried, and so I patted her hair, her hair sticking to her cheeks. I kissed her head, then hugged her.

"Arigatou...Onee-chan!" She cried, and her eyes gazed up to mine, and I smiled back at her before looking down at her.

"Who were you looking for?" I asked her gently, taking her to a stream nearby to clean her hands with a rag I had in Ramses' saddle. The girl watched Ramses drink from the stream, and looked back at me.

"I was looking for Mephisto-onii-san, and Amaimon-onii-san." She states with a sweet smile, and my hand goes slack on her wrist with the rag.

"M-Mephisto and Amaimon?" I asked with a slight whimper, and I blinked twice before looking back at her. She nodded, a sweet smile on her face.

"Uhuh! Mama said to look for them once I was of age to leave the house." She smiled proudly, but then her smile fell. "I guess this was what she was talking about. I was running from all of these people with guns and swords, and I just-I got scared. I-I don't mean for the flames to hurt them, I just don't want them to hurt me." She whispered, her hands now clutcing her hair, staining it with crimson. I shook my head, quickly taking her hands in mine.

"You were protecting yourself, but what do you mean? Why would- are you-" She answered my question with a smile and nod, as if she was proud of being a demon- a daughter of the king of them, if I was correct. "T-then your father…"

"...is Satan. Yes. My papa is Satan."

* * *

I frowned a little, before nodding, seeming to take this in. She seemed to notice my frown, and immediately got into a fighting position, her hand stretched out.

"D-don't!" She cried, her eyes watering. I shake my head, and let out a giggle, peeling off my socks and dipping my toes into the cool stream. "What's so funny?!" She yells, huffing and crossing her arms. I look at her with soft eyes, and so her blue eyes soften, then cast downward. "G-gomen." She mumbles, though it did not seem like she really meant it.

"I know Mephisto-san and Amaimon, though Amaimon and I don't share much of a cheerful relationship." I close my eyes, and quickly wave away the memories of Bon almost dying, Rin getting hurt and Yukio getting thrown into the ocean. "I know two other half-brothers of yours, though." I smile a little as she perks up, and smiles widely.

"I have two more onii-chans?" She asks excited, and I nod.

"Uhuh. I grew up with them. They're the best brothers to ask for, and they're my family too, so they'll be with you too." I smile as happy tears twinkle in her eyes, and she just nods. "The oldest one is Rin, and the younger one-though they're both my age- is Yukio. Rin is a Baka, and Yukio seems like the good kid. They'll love you." I smile at her, and leave a hand on her head.

"Arigatou, Onee-chan! I'm really excited to meet them!" She smiles. "Can you-well...Mama wanted me to do something. She wanted me to be an Exorcist, because she wanted me to help those in need. I want to become a Doctor and Aria, along with a Tamer." She smiles widely. "I want to help those, because I know that there are bad demons. But Papa...Papa was good. To me, at the least. I remembered once...he had smiled. It seemed like he truly loved me, and…" She clenches her fist, and lets out a soft sigh. "I want to show people that there are good demons, harmless demons. There's more to them that meets the eye." She smiles faintly.

"I'll help you get that dream." I state firmly. She looked at me with wide eyes, and squeaked out of surprise.

"Y-you don't have to, you're already doing enou-"

"I want to." I state with a wide smile. The happy tears that were in her eyes dripped down, and then, she wrapped her arms around me and started to cry with joy.

"Arigatou! Arigatou, Arigatou, Arigatou!" I didn't say anything, but dried off her hands with a gentle smile, and helped her up after putting my shoes back on.

"C'mon, let's get you a bath and get you a bed." I coo, and help her up onto Ramses, and I kick his flank after climbing on.


	17. Introductions, News (Pt1) and a Savior

Nat's POV:

"So her name is…"

"Hoshimi! Hoshimi Mai's my name!" The younger girl giggled as she looked around the vast house, clearly fascinated in the animals, playing with the kits and pups that bounced around her.

"I'm going to enroll her into True Cross." I state with a determined face, and everyone looks at me, including Hoshimi.

"W-what?!" They all shriek, blinking out of surprise.

"I mean it. I'm going to pay for her to go to our school, and I'll enroll her into cram school too." I state with a smile.

"O-Onee-chan it costs a lot of money to-"

"Which is why I'm going to get a few jobs. I came to True Cross for special conditions, and I want to help her." I then get tackled in a hug by Hoshimi, who buries her head in my chest.

"A-Arigatou, Onee-chan!" She cries, causing Rin's eyes to narrow as he huffs, storming out of the room. I frown slightly, confused by his behavior. "Onee-chan, who are Rin and Yukio-onii-chan?" She then asks, causing everyone to stare at her confused.

"What?" Shima grabs a piece of her creamy silks of hair, making her yelp and squirm, her cheeks flushing. "They don't look much ali-" He stops, seeing her eyes that were cerulean, the bluest of blues. "Oh." He states in a small voice.

"D-don't tell me…" Izumo mumbled, her eyes wide.

"G-Guys-"

"I-I knew it!" She then yowled, wiping her eyes from the tears that were now running down her face. "I-I knew that Exorcists-who hate demons- w-would hate me too...but...but I didn't do anything! I don't know what I did wrong!" She starts to wail, turning on her heel and running out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Hoshimi!" I called after her, then turned to them. "I-I can't believe you guys!" I huff, and cross my arms. "She's a child!"

"She's a demon!" Yukio argues, and my eyes widen as my face starts to contort into disgust.

"You-You're judging her-judging her because of her blood, because she's a child of Satan?!" I screech, and stomp my foot in frustration. "Yukio-you're also a child of Satan! You should- should at least...understand her." I mumble, then shake my head. "I don't care what you guys think. She's a child...just a child. She needs someone. She needs a family." I cry out, then shake my head. "You can judge me all you want. But you do not judge a child because of her family!" I close my eyes, then just open the door, pulling on my shoes and slamming the door behind me as I ran after the silky strands of white.

* * *

Konkemaru's POV:

I looked after both of the girls had left, then stood up, grabbing a coat.

"K-Konkemaru?" Shima asked, clearly surprised. I didn't say anything as I pulled my arms into my sleeves, closing my eyes trying to think of a logical place where she might be. "Konkemaru what're you-"

"Nat's right." I mumble, opening my eyes. "She's right, and...and… now I feel horrible for judging Rin and Okumura-sensei. We're all as bad as demons if we judge them like that." I state with more firmness and more confidence.

"K-Konkemaru." Bon looks at me with something in his eyes, and then nodded slowly. "You're right." He muttered reluctantly, then sighed. "I guess we should apologize to the squirt." He scowled. "But she better not be as much as a show off as Okumura." He chuckled softly, then frowned.

"I'm off. Ja ne." I state as I finish slipping my shoes on, and I run out the door, closing it behind me. I remember on our way here, there was a playground...could she have run there? She's a kid, hell, I'm still a kid. I would go there. I nodded, deciding where to look first as I ran blindly through the woods, another coat in my hand.

When I had reached the playground, I noticed a soft glow of white and blue as I entered the clearing, near the swing sets. I turned to my right, and saw the girl sitting there, her strands of creamy white hair blowing gently in the breeze. "U-Um, Hoshimi-"

"S-Stay away from me...I-I don't want to hurt you!" She whimpered, gently pushing herself on the swing. I frowned slightly, and sat down on the swing but facing sideways, so my legs were straddling the swing.

"You're not going to hurt me. I promise." I assured her, placing a soft hand on her head. When she turned sideways to face me, tears were filling in her eyes.

"A-Are you sure?" She whispered, her eyes glowing like the blue fire of her father's symbol, but instead of hatred and lies, they held warmth, love, care. When she slowly looked at my face, tears dripped from her eyes as she swung forward on the swing-us both being sideways- and wrapped her arms around me, her head in my shoulder, on her tiptoes so she didn't fall back. I wrapped my arms around her, my cheeks burning as I let my head fall into her neck.

"I promise."

* * *

Shima's POV:

I excused myself after Konkemaru left, and slowly looked over each of my shoulders and around myself as I pressed a button on my watch. I tried to look casual, and tried not to gape at Izumo-chan's legs as I walked past her, and sat on my futon in the boys' room.

"What is it, Shima?" The raspy voice commanded, and I chuckled softly as I leaned back onto the soft pillow.

"I found some exciting news, but it was kinda a bit… too hectic for me to tell you then. So I'm gonna tell you now." I announced with a low voice, then frown as someone knocks on the door. "Who is it?!" I call out to the person standing on the other side of the door, but by the sound of his voice, I could tell it was Rin.

"Yo." He greets me glumly as he flops onto his futon that was closest to the lamp.

"Hey. I was leaving anyways so you can do what you want." I muse, and wave before trotting quickly out of the room and down the dark hallway.

"You Baka, why are you notifying us when there are others around?" The voice hissed, and I only sighed before walking further down,before I saw a slight glow of gold catch my eye.

"Sorry, this was the most easygoing time." I whine back, and frown as use the watch's light to go over the frame. When I finally saw the whole picture, I could see that it was Nat's family. There was a date; March 21st, the year was over 13 years ago, when Nat was probably three years old. The group of people had dark hair, with various colors of eyes, some blue all the way to a soil brown.

I look at the children next, noticing how one child that seemed like the youngest was crying, her stomach to the ground and her frame being sat on by another kid, this one a boy with dark hair and blue eyes, though he was tan and had freckles on his face. For a moment there, I thought that the boy on the girl was Rin.

Looking closer at the girl, I saw she had the same skin and same freckles dappled over her nose, and emerald green eyes with golden rays emanating from the pupil. Her face was happy, and there was no sadness in her eyes. I knew for certain that this girl was Nat.

"Well?" The voice on my watch muttered, causing me to jump.

"S-Sorry, boss. I was just looking at a picture." I look under the date, to see that there was a title on the plaque: The Earth Guardians- Reunited. I frowned lightly. "Anyways, I have a question to ask. Do you know of the 'Earth Guardians'?" I ask, blinking in confusion, but also curiosity. I heard a sharp intake of breath, and cleared my throat. "I found this picture. It says the 'Earth Guardians Reunited' or something. What's it supposed to mean?" I ask.

"What was the date?" The voice of my commander questioned, seeming now very curious.

"March 21st. Now that I think of it, it's-"

"It's the date of the massacre of a whole clan." He finished for me.I frowned, then shrugged.

"Whatever you say. I think of it as Nat's birthday." I smile a little, then frown. "When were the Earth Guardians massacred?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.

"On March 21st, 13 years ago."


	18. News (Pt2), and a Fear

Shima's POV:

"Ah, so her family was killed 13 years ago on March 21st?" I ask, and frown a little, tracing my finger over the picture of the toddler that was clad in the green kimono. I looked down at my own kimono, that showed a little of my chest. It was probably one of Nat's relative's. It looked like the man's by the woman's left, who had dark brown eyes and long, dark hair that cascaded to his hips freely. It was shaggy, that complimented a young teacher look.

"Yes. So you've found the survivor?" The voice snuffled over the static. I nod, a slight smile on my face.

"Yes. I've also found something even better."

"Oh? Besides the survivor?" I nod, and cough a little.

"I found 3 kids of Satan." I whisper into the watch, then shut it off without hearing the commander's response, because I heard a new voice from the darkness.

"I see you saw this part of the house. I guess I didn't exactly hide it well enough. Did you get lost?" Nat's soft, melodic voice echoed through the hallway, and so I nodded slowly, turning to look back at her.

"A-Ah, yeah. I-I was answering a phone call." I sputter, then smile sheepishly. She slowly nodded, and shook out the twigs and leaves in her hair. "Did she come back?" I ask, referring to Hoshimi, but I didn't care if she was safe or not. I had to keep an eye on all of them, no matter what. The Commander would get very mad if I got them out of my reach.

"Uhuh. I got a phone call from Konkemaru-san." She smiles, and holds out her hand for me. I take it with a grin, and so I let her guide me back to the main chambers of the house, a sly, wicked smile on my face that was hidden from the innocent girl in front of me.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I looked at everyone in front of me, and smiled a little, before getting hugged tightly by Hoshimi, who had tears flooding from her eyes. "Oof!" I yelp, and smile sheepishly. "What was that-"

"Baka!" She yelled, and gently punched my shoulder. "Baka, Baka!" She stated softer against my chest, and punched my shoulder again. "It was cold out there and you two went after me...Baka, Baka!" She smiles cheekily before seeing Rin.

"Oh! Onii-san, this is Hoshimi! She is a-"

"I know what she is."

"O-Onii-san!" I yelp, and look at him with wide eyes. He only looks to the side, as if ashamed. Yukio looks pained as he tries to reach out for his shoulder, but Rin slaps it away.

"She's the child of-"

"Baka! So are you!" I protest, and throw my hands up into the air. The others of the group looked at us with surprise, looking back and forth between us like it was a ping pong fight. Rin and I never fought like this. This was the first time I really yelled at him before.

"I know that! But she thinks he's a good person! To Gehenna with that!" He roars, and tears fill his eyes. "Satan-He killed Shiro out of cold blood!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, causing me to go rigid and the room to go silent. I bit my lip, tears welling up in my eyes too. "And you-you believe that he's a good person too-"

"Mo'i." I mumble, tears splashing down to the floor. "Mo'i, already." I look up at him. "Who said I thought he was a good person?" I then state louder, shaking my head, my tears spraying over the mats. "Who said I thought that the person who hurt my family was a good person?!" I then scream at him, my figure starting to tremble.

"I don't think he's a good person...and...and I don't want him to hurt anyone else! But-But Hishomi-she reminds me of my past self, Rin! She-She needs a family, a friend! I needed those too, and-and you and Yukio and Shiro were kind enough to give me that. Shiro would say the same thing here with Hoshimi. She's just like you-she's kind, and forgiving, but the thing that she believes, is that there's more to someone than just their blood-their status." I state, and the hand I was holding to my chest-my right hand- sliced through the air as I moved it to my side.

"So...Onegai!" I bow my head, tears flooding from my eyes. "Onegai, Onii-san. G-Give her the family that you, Yukio, and Shiro gave to me!" I yell, and my eyes widen as I feel a pair of arms wrap tightly around my figure. I look up to see Rin, his eyes hidden by his hair. I looked up to see that his eyes were tear filled as he just held me tighter, and so I just let him, closing my eyes. "Arigatou, Onii-san, I-"

"I don't want her to take you away from me." He mumbled, his head buried in my hair.

"E-Eh?" I murmur, and look up at him surprised. When I looked back, the only people in the room now were Hishomi and Yukio. Hishomi had on a blue kimono with white Sakuras, the blossoms coming from the silver branches from her right side of the kimono. Yukio had on a navy blue kimono with lighter blue hems, and dark stripes on the bottom of the kimono. "What're you-"

"It was just Yukio, you, and I. I loved those times. But when everyone else at True Cross came along, we seemed more distant… it wasn't the same. And...and now I'm afraid that she'll take you away, her being the sibling you've always loved, not Yukio and I." He let out a soft sigh. I smile a little, and rest a hand on his head, flattening his tousled hair.

"Baka." I scold him, and so he looks at me surprised. "Yes you, Onii-san. Baka, Baka!" I giggle, and then start to laugh. "You sure need to learn how to share. That I know you weren't very good at." I smile at him. "There's enough of Onee-chan's love to go around, especially for you three." I smile and go on my toes, and I gently press my lips against his forehead, then bending down to Hishomi, kissing her forehead, then to Yukio's forehead. "We're all gonna be a family, and I'll stay with all of you. We'll come closer than ever!" I smile and giggle softly, putting my thumbs up.

"Yeah. Yeah!" Rin states, more confident, with a grin on his face.

"Now come on, I need to get you guys to bed." I scold. "It's already past 11:00, we should be in bed by now." I chastise them, then usher them into their rooms to go to sleep.


	19. Horses, and an Accident

Nat's POV:

The next morning, I stretched and patted Haru's head before gently tugging an oversized sweater over my head, before pulling my hair out of the shirt's collar. Smiling faintly, I pulled the door open with my foot, blushing as I silently closed it, then started towards the room to the right; the boys' room.

The mission was this: First- Get to Rin's bag; Second-Open the bag; Third- Take a few hairclips; Fourth- Silently close the bag and get out of there as soon as possible. It was a simple mission, I think to myself as I open the door quietly, knowing that everyone would be asleep.

I looked over each futon, then frowned. W-Why is Ryuuji- Nevermind. Just get to the bag. Continue the mission! My inner thoughts cheered as I quickly jumped over each futon to get to the bags. Rummaging through the pile of bags, I was able to pull out Rin's bag from the middle, quickly shoving my hand into the outside pocket, grabbing a handful of plastic hairclips before pulling my hand back out, quickly stumbling back to the safety of the hallway, where I slammed into someone who was running into the room too.

Both of us falling back, I looked up to see that Bon's face was a red as he quickly closed his eyes. I frowned, then squeaked in alarm, seeing my shirt had rode up. "D-Don't look!" I squeal quietly, quickly getting up, helping him up and blushing a lot as I slowly started to walk away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. _Why was he even- maybe he was jogging? He jogs too? He's so dream- C-Chigau! What am I thinking?!_

I hold my head, then blush putting my bangs up in a hairclip before smiling a little, changing into a pair of jean shorts and a hoodie, and I start to pull my hair into a messy bun as I started to jog down the hall and out the door.

* * *

Bon's POV:

Later in the morning-around 8:00, when everyone was getting up and washing up- I heard the door slide open to see the familiar dark hair of Nat. My cheeks flush as I quickly look away from her face, and I close my eyes.

"A-Anno…etto… Dinner will be ready in a few minutes!" I heard her soft voice squeak, and the door slammed closed again, causing Rin and Yukio to look at the door with confusion, then Shima frowned.

"Dinner?" He mumbled, then chuckled. "For all I know, it could be 8:00 pm," He muses, running a hand through his hair.

"Baka, like we'd all be waking up at that time!" I scold him, hitting the back of his head.

"Oh Nat." Yukio chuckled as he adjusted his glasses.

"What's so 'Oh Nat'?" I scowl, and grimace a little.

"When she gets nervous, she says something different than what she means. She probably means that 'breakfast will be ready in a few minutes'." Rin explains with a grin. "The weirdo." He chides, and starts to pull on a pair of jeans with a T-shirt underneath. He smiles faintly, and pulls his bangs up into hair clip. "I'm gonna help make breakfast." He announces, and smiles before waving. "Ja ne!" He closes the door behind him, and I let out a soft sigh, pulling on jeans and a hoodie, following him.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I blush madly quickly eating my scrambled egg filled rice ball, smiling faintly as Hoshimi-who sat in between Konkemaru and I- tugged on my sleeve of my hoodie repeatedly, squealing as she observed the house and the animals. "O-Oh! Etto…" I mumble, now blushing with embarrassment. "A-Anno, I-I have something for us to d-do!" I yelp, and blush a lot more before looking back down, standing up.

"O-Onii-san you can explain it to them while I get everything ready." I state with a smile, before turning and starting to run out, however, I run back and bow a few times. "G-gomenasai! A-Anno, you all will need boots!" I point to my feet that were clad in riding boots, before smiling. "T-they're in the drawer right next to the door, okay?" I smile and wave, before gently nudging Bon's hand. "E-Etto...R-Ryuuji...I need someone who has strength to help me...s-so-"

"Alright, if you insist," He smirked lightly, using me as a hand rest to pull himself up.

"I-I only asked once, you Baka!" I scold, and blush more, gently tugging on his sleeve. "N-now come on!" I chide, and lead him to the door, passing him a pair of my Papa's boots with a slight frown, as a few graphic images went into my head. I could see his figure slumped over a chair, half of his face burned with a hot iron, and his right side of his body was crushed. I looked away quickly, the smell of blood filling my nose.

"Nat." A surprising gentle voice stated softly, jerking me back from my thoughts. I looked up to see Bon with a worried face, and so I blushed faintly as I smiled at him.

"Hai!" I smile and giggle faintly, and help him tie his left boot. "These were my Papa's, so you'll have to take good care of them." I smile at him, and tug on his hand as I open the door. "Now come on, the horses are waiting!" I smile widely and giggle, pulling Bon out of the door by my side, jogging to the ten horses waiting for us.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I smiled widely at everyone, excitement pulsing through me as I put my hands behind my head.

"Anno, what exactly are we doing?" Shiemi asked shyly, gently smiling at me with nervousness in her voice. I chuckled softly, and placed a comforting hand on her head.

"Daijobu, you'll be fine. You're all gonna ace it!" I cheered, and smiled, crossing my arms. I looked over to Yukio, who was trying to get Koko from breaking a wall from punching it. It seemed she was very impatient. I chuckled softly, and looked over at Shima, who was leaning against the bristling Izumo, then flickered my eyes to Hoshimi slowly, still not used to her being here.

She was now in a white shirt that billowed down to her waist, with a high waisted pair of jean shorts that were over a pair of royal blue leggings. Her feet were clad in black converse that reached right above her ankles, but that didn't stop her at all from flinging them right off. Chuckling as Konkemaru gently scolded her, the two young couple seemed already like they were married. True love, I tell you.

I looked to Shiemi, who had on a rosy pink shirt, with a pair of leggings and a pair of brown riding boots, that were speckled with dried arena dirt, probably horse crap too.

"Yosh~" I bellowed, long enough for everyone to turn my way. "Listen up, minna! Nat entrusted me with your lives, so I will take that! First: We are going horseback riding!"

"_EH?!"_


	20. A Secret, and Finding Happiness

Nat's POV:

Saddling Bingo, I felt my fingers lightly trembling as I steadily tightened the girth, then worked on pulling the reins from behind her ears to the base of the crest of the neck, which was where the saddle started. I smiled faintly, then looked over at Bon, who was looking confused as he tried to tie the horse Sunshine's reins onto a post.

I giggled slightly, pecking Bingo's cheekbone before dipping under her, trotting over to Bon before smiling at him. "Need any help?" I ask, stifling a laugh as he huffed, crossing his arms.

"W-whatever. J-Just untie it already." He growls, looking down at the ground, suddenly interested in a pile of manure. I blush faintly, and with shaking fingers, I start to untie my fingers. When I saw hands gently cover over mine, I frowned, looking over my shoulder to see Bon.

"R-Ryuuji?" I whisper out, then just look down at my boots.

"Are you scared?" He asked, but I only shook my head.

"Why would I be? I've been riding these horses all of my life. Even though I was trampled and thrown off by these creatures, I can never fear them." I smile softly, and start to pull the reins back, blushing as his hands followed behind mine. "A-Arigatou." I mumble, my cheeks flushed.

"What for?" He asks, confused. I just shrug, and smile a little to myself as I take the horses' reins, though Ramses only walks beside me with pure obedience. I smile faintly, and have the horses all on the leash that was a few meters away from them, so it gave them each room.

"Oi! Onee-chan, you're back!"

"O-Oh! T-Tadaima…" I murmur, and blush faintly, smiling sheepishly. I tie the leash against the post next to the front porch, letting the horses graze a little before the ride. "Alright minna! Now we'll get you all paired with the horses! Ryuuji-you go on Bingo! Onii-san, you go to Pico, the white-ish one. Nii-san, you go on...ah! Vahnee! The dark stallion!"

I take a breath, then press a finger to my chin, thinking of who to pair up with. I then see Ramses, who is at my side again. I smile softly, and giggle lightly, petting the muzzle of Ramses as he tries to retrieve my hair band with his lips. He snorts, seeing he's unable to and gives up, butting my side.

"Anno...etto...Shima, you go on...Eva, the gray one. Izu-chan, you go on Bluebelle-the caramel colored one-, and Shi-chan, you can go on Kashmir, the one that's really short." I frown slightly, then think. "Konkemaru, you go on Sunshine!" I point to the black mare, who was as tall as a stallion. "You deserve to be tall once in a while." I smile.

"Now Koyalee, you can go on Topa, and Nee-chan, you can go on Lolita." I smile. "She was my Papa's companion, so she'll be very gentle with you." I grin and then start to adjust the girth as I help set Bon's foot into the stirrup, hoisting him onto the horse with ease, though my fingers were still shaking, along with my knees. Even so, I next helped up Rin, and then Yukio, going on down the line of the horses. I then hoisted myself onto Ramses, though I could barely stand very well.

"Everyone ready?" I call to everyone, the horses now being controlled by the riders on their backs, not by the leash in my hand. I saw Haru sit in front of Bon, since she did not like Ramses very much. I would understand why, but even though the accident that crippled my grandfather was partially his fault, he was holding the grudge of that on his haunches.

When they nodded, I smiled as I kicked the flank of Ramses, urging him to start towards north, where the vast training arena sat.

* * *

Yukio's POV:

Pulling myself onto Vahnee, I let out a small chuckle as I looked around. It's very...broad up here. Vahnee was Shiro's old rider, but now I'm on him. It seems like I've been given an heirloom. Or was it because Nat didn't want to leave him behind; that she couldn't stand leaving Shiro behind? I only shook my head, and closed my eyes, calming myself.

I looked over to Koko, who seemed to have a troubled face as she held the reins of Topa tightly. "You alright?" I asked softly, gently setting a hand on her shoulder. Jumping, she looked over at me surprised, as if I was crazy to do something like that. "Etto…" I state uncertainly, as she only grips the pony's reins tighter, so much that Topa had to shake his head to get freedom of his mouth back from the panicking girl. "Topa, calm down." I scold him, gathering the reins back and giving them to her, though she took them with shaking fingers.

"I-I'm fine! Of course I'd be fine!" She smiles widely, though it seemed like she was only keeping up the brave girl act.

"You can tell me if you're scared, you know." I state quieter, and pull the two horses back a little bit from the group.

"W-what are you doing?" She shrieks, but keeps her voice lowered.

"I want to talk to you." I smiled sheepishly, and she only blushes, quickly huffing as she starts to unsteadily kick Topa forward, though holding the reins so tightly that her knuckles went white from pressure, so Topa didn't know what to do, confused.

"Look, daijobu. These horses are tamed, and they're completely harmless. They're just as scared as we are, so they'll be scared if you are. And anyways, Nat'll be there with us. She's been around these horses all of her life, if you have anything you need, just ask." I smile, and flatten a few hairs that stubbornly stuck up on her head with a faint blush.

She blushed more, quickly ducking her head and holding onto Topa's neck, dropping the reins and just holding his neck with her face pressed against his mane. I couldn't help but laugh softly, gently tugging on her ponytail to pull her back up to a sitting position.

"If you do that, he'll want to gallop." I pointed out, making her shoot up with a straight back, her figure rigid.

"T-Tell me that earlier than now, alright?!" She yelps, her cheeks flushed and her eyes angry, but also almost...gleeful. I already saw someone else in her eyes. Nat. When we first met her, Nat was sobbing in front of her parents, her eyes full of pain, and no glee or happiness. It seemed like all of her happiness was flooded away with tears. I will make you happy, Koyalee. I promise. I told myself, smiling a little.

"Now come on, we need to catch up." I chide, and kick Vahnee's flank, grinning as he started to prance, as if that was his way of going faster.

I smiled, seeing Koyalee's grin as we started to almost trot back to the group.


	21. A Surprising Fear, and a Familiar's Love

Bon's POV:

I looked at Haru confused for a while, seeing she was clearly sulking. She was draped over the front of my saddle, her head against my right knee as I wobbled slightly in the saddle, my hands rested on Haru's back as I held the reins of Bingo. "Oi, Haru." I say out of the blue, now a little curious. I remembered Nat's hands shaking-even the tiniest- but still trembling. Why was she trembling?

"Hm?" She grumbled, lifting up her chin.

"Why do Nat's hands tremble while she prepares the horses for the ride?" I ask, a little louder. She then bites the reins of Bingo, causing the mare to halt, allowing Shima, Izumo, Shiemi, and Rin to pass us, though Rin seemed to have a concerned look on his face.

"Eh? What was that for?" I ask, now a little weirded out. Weird cat. All of the animals are weird. They can talk, and act like a human, though they're clearly animals. But it seems like they're so...humane.

"So you won't tell anyone this. Nat hasn't told even Rin nor Yukio this." She hissed, her fur lightly bristling. I nodded slowly, and frowned slightly. It never came to my mind that Nat wouldn't tell either Rin or Yukio anything. They were that close. Hell, they lived in the same building for over 13 years, and still do.

"Yeah, then why tell me?" I mumble, huffing as I grip the reins tighter. Nat wouldn't tell someone like me. She doesn't trust me like that.

"Because she really cares about you. She's afraid to lose you again. She's afraid to lose anyone. But you asked, so I'm gonna tell." She stated quietly, though her eyes watered as she let out a soft wail.

"S-she...She's afraid of horseback riding."

* * *

"W-What? How?!" I screech, my eyes wide as plates. She only whined, tears dripping from her eyes, down her nose and off her muzzle. I never knew animals could cry, and I never knew animals could feel the same pain that we did so vividly.

"S-She...it's a long story. She...She had a grandfather. He was married into the clan, and he married her grandmother, Emiko-the wolf that is very mouthy-." She smiles faintly, and leans back down. "He and her father were at a horse riding competition… and…" She stops, and seemed like she was in her own world now. When she started to tell me the story again-from her point of view- my heart seemed like it was aching.

* * *

_14 Years Ago-At a Horse Riding Competition- Haru's POV:_

_I was held in my master's- Nat's- arms, as we watched her grandfather and his companion Ramses trot along the arena, going in different choreography and patterns. Her father and his companion Lolita were standing at the opening of the arena, waiting for their part of the performance. Ramses stumbled slightly, though this time it seemed more unstable than his born limp. A foul scent filled my nose, and I scrunched it up as my eyes started to widen. This scent… I thought to myself as my figure stiffened in my master's arms._

_"Haru?" I heard the soft voice of Nat whisper to me, and her eyes widen, her figure starting to tremble. "Opaa-san! Opaa-san!" She cried, setting me down and starting to run to the railing, jumping off it and landing in the arena dirt. When I looked back over to Opaa-san-my master's grandfather- he was lying on the ground, and Ramses was galloping around, whinnying in pain. Blood gushed from his hind left hoof, and I yowled._

_"Master no!" I cried, and started to spring into a jump, but rough, calloused hands caught me in mid-air._

_"Yamete, Haru!" The furious voice of Mizuki-Nat's mother- growled, but I could see there were tears in her eyes._

_"No! She's my-she's my master!" I protest, my small frame squirming in the hands of Mizuki. I saw Opaa-san start to get up, though he couldn't move his lower back. When Ramses went closest to him, he raised his upper body up, trying to grasp his hoof-to touch him- but then I heard a thwack and a crack, seeing Opaa-san's figure back on the ground._

_"OPAA-SAN!" I heard my master scream, getting held back by her father, who had tears flowing from his eyes like rivers. When Mizuki let go of me, her eyes were flooded with tears, them dripping down to her chin and to the floor._

_"M-Mizuki-san...Gomen." I mumble, and jump off the railing and land next to Nat, who was sobbing on the ground. Opaa-san was carried off the arena, while many tamers came to tranquilize Ramses. When Nat stopped crying, and when Otou-san stopped stroking her hair and hugging her, I finally looked up at my master- at my companion._

_"Master...Are you alright now?" I asked softly, and nudged her hand with my head. When she looked up at me, she only nodded, kissing my head._

_"Dai-jo-bu."_

_She gave me a soft smile, but that sad, pained smile broke my heart._

* * *

Bon's POV:

"Her grandfather was sent to the hospital immediately, and… The doctors said he was crippled. He couldn't move his lower body for the rest of his life, and he lost all of his memories. He had short-term memory loss, so each day he'd forget all of his memories. When Nat and her family first visited him, he had looked at them with confusion, and asked them, 'Who are you?'. Nat ran out of the room crying, because her Opaa-san was her best friend, he was the person in the house that she could play with, help and care to. She felt like she needed to help him, and she couldn't now. That's when her fear started. She loved these horses, though. These horses were and still are her family. She couldn't just give up on them, much less...Ramses." She mumbled his name, and I grimaced.

"I'm guessing you still have the grudge against him?" I started softly, and she only nodded.

"He caused her so much pain. He made Opaa-san suffer." She stopped, and ducked her head. "I'm done talking, it's too much of something for me to talk about." She stated.

I only nodded, and gently patted her head, setting her on the ground. "No worries. We're already here."


	22. Unexpected, and a Visit

Nat's POV:

"Alright Ramses, I'm gonna just tie you up here for now, but I'll ride you soon, I promise." I smile as I slide off the horse, and giggle as he licks my cheek. "Weirdo." I tie the reins to the post beside the arena, and pat his head before closing the gate after each horse has come into the arena.

"Yosh~ Everyone, stirrups off!" I call, pointing to my toes.

"Eh?" Izumo starts, but Rin only groans.

"No, Onee-chan anything but that!" He whines. I giggle, and start to go by each of the horses, patting their heads and looking at each person's figure. I had Haru beside me, padding along in the sand with her tail flicking with anxiousness and excitement.

"While I'm walking, everyone do 50 posts! Then do 30 back touches!" I call, starting towards the next horse.

"N-Nat-chan, can you hold onto T-Topa for me?" I hear someone sputter, and so I look over my shoulder at Koyalee, who was trembling as she looked down at the pony.

"That's fine, kiddo." I grin, gently taking hold of the first part of his reins, right under his jaw. "Topa's a nice boy, don't you worry." I smile faintly, looking over to his missing eye. "He had cancer when I was little, so Shiro got some doctors to fix it up. Now he only follows the horse right in front of him." I smile, and start to go towards Bon while Haru holds onto the reins with her tail.

"Ryuuji, keep your shoulders back, and keep your legs forward. If you stray to the back, she'll think you want her to canter, so that won't be good." I smile sheepishly, though when I look up at him, his smile isn't there, only a frown and slightly-slightly concerned eyes.

I frowned slightly, and looked up at him. "Dai-jo-bu, Bingo's a good girl. All of these horses are well trained, you won't fall off, I promise." I smile at him, and pat Bingo's neck before letting go, getting on Ramses and starting to go in front of Lolita, who was being ridden by Hoshimi.

"Alright, everyone! Since you're all done with your exercises, now we're gonna-" I frown, and look at Topa, who was acting skittish. I then saw that Koyalee was holding on too tightly and smiled. "Daijobu, Koyalee." I sooth her, gently taking Topa's start of the reins again.

"Alright, minna! Trot!" I call, and look at Lolita, who gets the order and starts to trot. I start to jog, telling Topa to trot, smiling when he did. "Koyalee, you're doing fine, see?" I coo to her, and smile. "Topa's not going too fast, he's a slow-paced horse and he just loves walking. He's not gonna do anything."

I calm her, and start to let go, but look like I'm still holding on. Topa still steadily followed Noah's tail, and I smiled faintly. "Topa's got this, Koyalee. Trust him." I state firmly, before starting to get on Ramses.

Trotting in front of Hoshimi, I smiled as I started to make a circle. "Circle, minna!" I call, and they all obey, though I could tell they were slowly getting exhausted. Pico was shaking his head, clearly not liking Rin very much. I giggle, knowing that he secretly liked Rin.

I started to continue on the trail, then felt Ramses stumble, though it was a lot worse than usual. I yelped, my knees trembling, causing him to stop in his tracks, then start to gallop, bucking and rearing. "Ramses!" I cried out, holding onto the reins, trying to calm him.

"Nat!" I heard Bon yell, immediately jumping off Bingo. Haru yowled, starting to spring into a jump, but Hoshimi caught her before she could sink her claws into Ramses.

"Onee-chan!" I heard the three children of Satan yell, but I couldn't hear them over the pound of my heartbeat. I fell to the ground in a heap, coughing out sand, then gasping when Ramses' hoof slammed into my lower spine. "Onee-chan!" I heard Rin scream. I got up unsteadily, then fell to the ground, my back and lower half stinging like licks from fire.

"Master! Master!" I heard Haru cry, tears flooding from her eyes. I felt Ramses' soul in my hands, as if I was controlling him now.

Is this...a soul link? I asked myself, then frowned slightly. I saw myself in Ramses' view; Nat-or myself-, sprawled out on the soft ground of the arena floor, and Ramses rearing, scared, but there were two scared that he had in his mind. The first was-was that something from Gehenna was here. The second was that he would hurt his master again, that the same thing would happen.

I smiled a little, before holding up my hand, closing my eyes. Ramses instantly stopped, his figure now faintly rigid, but standing in front of me. Ducking his head then rearing up, I looked up to the animal before holding out my hand to him.

"Master!" I heard Haru then scream, and I smiled faintly before starting to get up so I could kneel on the ground.

"Dai-jo-bu, Haru." I stated softly, and rubbed my head. "It's just a scratch, it'll be fine. I promise." I smiled as I petted her, then looked at Ramses, who was snorting as he had stopped, immediately by my side again.

Hishomi had jumped off Lolita, holding her reins as she ran to me, collapsing next to me and wrapping her arms around me, crying. "Onee-chan...Onee-chan…" She whimpered, her head buried in my chest. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, my legs tucked outwards as I kissed her head and stroked her head.

"Dai-jo-bu, Onee-san." I whisper to her, and hold her to me. I then felt hands wrap around my waist from behind, someone's head buried in my hair. "Eh?" I started quietly, lifting up my chin to see Bon with his eyes hidden under his hair, his lips turned down into a quivering frown.

"I-I can't let it happen again…" He mumbled, turning me so I was opposite of Ramses, as if protecting me from him.

"E-Eh?!" I started more frantically, my cheeks flushing and I look up at him. "R-Ryuuji did you hit your head?!" I blush more, blinking a few times in confusion.

"No. Just...Haru told me…" He mumbled, tightening his grip. I let go of Hoshimi after kissing her head again, then I looked up at him before hugging him tightly.

"Don't tell a soul. I don't want them to worry. And-and it won't happen again. I'll make sure of it. I just...I'll need help with getting back on." I mumble, blushing. Nodding slowly, he was about to carry me towards the animal, but someone else's arms scooped me up, holding me into a chest that was covered in a white cloak.

"Sorry love, but you're just too tempting." A familiar voice purred in my ear, and so I blushed a lot before feeling a beard against the top of my head.

"M-Mephisto."

* * *

"Now a little bit of manners I would like to apply to that, Nat-chan." He whines, and pouts at me.

"G-Gomen, M-Mephisto-san." I mumble, my cheeks flushing. Hoshimi looks at him, and growls lowly, her tail flicking out, it this time being a white with the tip of a black. She growled more, her canine teeth showing.

"Let go of her. I don't care who you are." She twitched lightly, getting held back by Rin and Yukio, knowing better than to mess with someone like Mephisto. "Damn you guys, why won't you do anything?" She scowls, annoyed and angry. Bon on the other hand, was being held back by Izumo, Shima, and Konkemaru.

"Let go of me! And you let go of her, you perv!" He roared at Mephisto, who only chuckled.

"M-Minna, daijobu…" I mumble, and blush a lot squirming. "Now please set me down, Mephisto-san." I look up at him, smiling faintly as he only sighs, setting me down by my feet. "Arigatou, Mephisto-san." I smile at him, and bow. When he pulls me aside to tell me something, I nod a few times.

"We're needed back at True Cross. They know their way back and there are stables here that they can stay at, so we'll be going through this portal." I motion to the ground. "Dai-jo-bu, it'll be okay, I promise." I smile. "Now come on, minna! Let's go!" I hold out my hand. Bon takes it, quickly followed by a glare from Rin and Hoshimi as they quickly put their hands over mine first, causing Yukio to chuckle and Konkemaru to smile. When everyone puts their hand atop mine, our figures start to glow, and so we started back to True Cross.


	23. The Crimson Sky, and Realization

Nat's POV:

True Cross was in chaos, coal tar flooding the streets and the sky dyed crimson red. Gehenna was above us, demons of all kinds flooding from the pit of Hell. I bit my lip, my eyes watering up. "No...Chigau…" I whisper, and cover my mouth with my hands. Koyalee gasped, and Hishomi's eyes widened.

Rin started to tremble, his fingers shaking as his hand found mine. "Bon! Shima! Konkemaru! Shiemi! Izumo! Koyalee! Protect the town! Rin, Yukio, Hoshimi, with me! Fall out!" I call, Haru now in her familiar form next to Kuro. I got on Haru, Hoshimi wrapping her arms around my waist, burying her head in between my shoulder blades.

"Nat! Now!" Rin calls to me. I nod, and unsheath my sword, it glowing faintly in the darkness of the Hell that was our world for the time being.

"Ready?!" I hear Yukio shout, aiming his gun, but just as we were about to make our first attack, a bomb exploded between the two familiars, causing us to dismount them, falling towards the lava.

"Onii-san!" I call out, and start to look down. Below me, Hoshimi was falling through the air, her eyes closed and her hair whipping around like whips of light.

"Onee-chan! Hoshimi!" I heard Rin scream. I dove further, encasing Hishomi in my arms, trying to shield her from the blistering heat. Pushing her up, I used energy to push her to Haru, who had her now on her back.

"G-Get her to the ground!"

"Master! But-"

"That's an order!" I yell back, and smile faintly. "Onii-san, Nii-san, live strong for me, ne? You promise it, don't you?" I stopped and smiled faintly, feeling my skin burn at the heat waves. "Hoshimi, don't blame yourself for this, I love you all equally and I would've done this for any of you." I whispered, and started to feel the tongues of heat bristle through my strands of darkness that were atop my head.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" I heard someone faintly yell, and I looked up to see Rin with tears streaming down his face.

"Dai-jo-bu, Onii-san. Live, and love for me, ne?" I whisper to him, my voice growing hoarse from lack of oxygen.

"B-Baka! I won't let you- I won't let you die on me!" He cried, tears flowing down his cheeks and off his chin. He cried.

"You will...live strong…" I whisper, my fingers grazing his, then smiling sadly as I plummeted down into the lava-away from Rin, who was sobbing as he screamed for me to get his hand that he held out stubbornly. "Sayo...nara…" I mouth to him, then close my eyes, letting the pain of the flames take over me.

* * *

Bon's POV:

When I saw Rin and Yukio come, I started to panick. The two girls were missing. Nat was missing. Nat. Oh kami Nat. No. No. She couldn't have- she didn't! She didn't. She can't die. I-I need her. "Where're they?!" I call, running forward but stopping, seeing Haru trot to her normal size, with a girl on her back. I sprinted towards the cat, who laid down the barely breathing form of Hoshimi. "No…No! Chigau! This-This can't be, please! No! Nat...Nat...I-I…" I sputter, my knees giving out. Koko looked at Rin blankly, then collapsed on her knees sobbing.

"No! No! S-She can't be, she can't!" She sobbed, and started to pound the ground, her tears soaking the ground in front of her. "Damn you! Damn you! Stop taking away the people that I-the people that I love!" She screamed, then her eyes widened as she was pushed into Yukio's chest.

"We grew up with her. We found her. We were her friends; her family." Yukio states quietly, tears flowing from his eyes. "She was the first person who got me motivated to become an Exorcist. She-the things she saw, and how she could deal with it all with a simple smile on her face- it was unbearable. I couldn't let that happen to someone else. And yet...and yet I failed to even protect her!" He clenched his fists against Koko's hair, and hid his head into her mane of red.

"S-She...She was our best friend...my...my sister. She-She didn't deserve to-"

"Shut up! Shut up!" I roared, tears flooding from my eyes. I looked at Haru, who only let out a sorrowful wail, her nose tilted up to the sky. "She's not dead! How can you-how can you call yourselves her friends if you don't have faith in her!" I protested, even though I felt as if it was true; that Nat was dead.

"B-Bon-" Konkemaru started softly, but I hit his hand away, causing him to flinch.

"J-just stop! She can't be-

"Onee-chan!" Rin wailed to the air, his tears dripping down like rain.

"Onee-chan!" Hishomi's voice joined his, her high voice blending with his, to create Yukio's voice, who stood in between them. I bit my lip, and looked around frantically.

"Anno...etto...Yo."

* * *

We all turned to see Nat, who was rubbing the back of her head sheepishly as she smiled faintly, her hair messed up, but I didn't seem to care at that time. She was Nat. That's all that mattered. Oh, _kami. Nat I would do so many things right now but- _

"Baka! Baka, Baka, Baka!" Another voice beat me to scolding her, and to my surprise; that person who was scolding her was Shiemi. "You don't need to be scaring us like that!" She scolds, her tears still dripping down her face. Nat only laughed softly, patting her head and flattening her hair.

"Dai-jo-bu, Shi-chan. I'm al-"

"Damn you Onee-chan!" Rin's voice bellowed as he tackled Nat, sitting on her and pulling her hair.

"I-Ite! Onii-san, yamete!" She whines, and blushes a lot as she lays face down to the ground.

"No! We thought you had-" He just stops and tugs on her hair, and she whimpers, waving her arms around and trying to get out of his grip.

Watching the two fight like children, I realized that I had fallen for an idiot.


	24. Breakfast, and a Birthday (Pt1)

Next Day- Nat's POV:

I woke up curled up under a mountain of blankets, my snow leopard and surprisingly Hishomi were next to me. I smiled softly, stretching and pulling my dark streak of hair into a braid, before letting out a dainty yawn. Hearing the phone next to the door buzz slightly, I smiled a little more. Rin and Yukio's dorm building-which was also mine and Hishomi's- had phones next to the door that were like hotel phones. The two Okumura twins used it to call me down for breakfast.

I nudged Hishomi awake, then chuckled. "I'll just get you some and bring it back." I decided out loud, and kissed her forehead before tucking the blankets under the two's chins, before starting towards Rin and Yukio's dorm.

When I opened the door, I immediately smelled the sweet scent of the teriyaki with pineapple sauce that Rin drizzled over rice and chicken. It was one of my childhood favorites, though Shiro made it for me. Remembering the scent of that same dish overflow the chapel, I was taken back by memories.

* * *

_About 12 Years Ago-Nat's POV:_

_I was sitting next to Rin and Yukio, reading a book with them that had pictures of many different foods._

_"Kids! Breakfast's ready!" I heard Shiro-san call out to us, and so we nodded, Yukio taking the book and setting it down, Rin taking my hand and leading me to the dining room._

_"H-Hey-" I stopped myself, and just smiled faintly, letting him keep on dragging me by the hand to the food. When we got there, I frowned slightly, and let out a soft sigh. "A-Anno...S-Shiro-san-"_

_"Call me 'Tou-san', kiddo." I looked up at Shiro's kind smile, but I only shook my head._

_"Etto… Opaa-san-"_

_"EH?! I'm a grandpa now?!" He whined, and put his head in his hands. I blushed from embarrassment, and just shook my head._

_"Shiro, anno, why exactly are we having chicken and rice in the morning?" I mumble, embarrassed to be asking this question._

_"'Cause we can, that's why." Shiro answered with a light smile._

_"C'mon, Onee-chan, don't be so pessimistic! The impossible is possible now!" Rin cheers, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I smiled faintly, and giggled softly, though it seemed like I was forcing myself to do those two things. Nothing had really changed. I was still as distant and sad as ever; it seemed like there was not going to be a special light for me. I seemed selfish; and I knew that I was only lying to myself. Rin and Yukio were everything to me. They were my Onii-san and Nii-san. Shiro was like Opaa-san before the accident happened._

_"Now, Itadakimasu! Repeat after me, kiddos!" Shiro bellowed in a deep voice, causing me to giggle lightly and Yukio to smile._

_"I-Itadakimasu…" I murmur, my eyes cast down to the chicken and rice, that had cooked pineapples and teriyaki sauce, along with many other spices. It looked like it would taste alright, but why in the morning? I let out a soft sigh, and started to take a bite, then my eyes widened slightly. _It tasted just like my-

_"Your mother taught me how to make it." Shiro stated softly. "She said that it was your favorite, so I decided to make it today." He chuckles softly. "I wanted to make it sometime, to cheer you up."_

_He smiled crookedly, and so I only nodded, before shoving the rest in my mouth, as if not able to get enough of the familiarity of my mother's food-it was like I was back at my home, with the animals trying to snag food from the globs of food the children made on the floor when the food missed their mouths, and the familiar scent of the family's earth and animals._

_"A-Arigatou." I mumble, and then quickly pick up the plates, setting them on the sink to get washed. I let out a soft smile, but then blushed, seeing the two Okumura twins saw me grinning like an idiot. "B-Baka!" I yelp, and quickly turn away with a huff. They only laughed, and took my hands, taking me outside._

* * *

Present-Nat's POV:

I blinked a few times out of confusion, and then smiled faintly. This seems so much like-

"Like it?" Rin asks with a smile. I nod, and smile a little more, but then feel my stomach recoil to it, my nose now stinging and my eyes burning. I sputtered out a cough, and held my stomach. Oh kami, how could I forget a day like this? I asked myself, and let out a soft groan before running to the bathroom, bile rising up to my throat. "Onee-chan!" He called out, starting towards the bathroom but then he stopped, leaning against the wall, catching a glance at the calendar on his way. I felt tears prick at my eyes as I felt myself vomit, and I only whimpered as I coughed a little, wiping my mouth then seeing a wetted towel in someone's hand.

"Here." Yukio's voice gently spoke, his knees bent so he could crouch down to my level. "Your birthday's today." He stated softly, a slight smile on his face. "You're not supposed to get sick on your birthday, Onee-san." He scolded, a soft chastising tone in his voice. I smiled sheepishly, and nodded.

"Y-yeah. I-I need to go to the train station, I missed the one I was supposed to go on. ' I murmured, and shook my head slightly. It had been a few weeks after the Gehenna gate opened up in the sky, and it had been a few weeks since Hoshimi was able to enter into the Cram school under my budget. I was holding her up with hours of part-time work and babysitting that was helped with by Koyalee.

"For what-oh." He stuttered, and closed his eyes. "When will you-"

"I'm not planning to." I state firmly, then stretch. "Ja ne, I'll be leaving." I smile a little, and get up before starting to jog out the door, Haru carried in my arms.

* * *

Shiemi's POV:

I sat next to Rin, who was smiling sheepishly as we watched a movie. I was curled up in between Yukio and Rin, with Koko next to Yukio and Hoshimi sprawled out on the floor, Bon glaring at her. Nat was gone for the day, I think, but whenever we asked the two about giving her a birthday party, they immediately recoiled and said 'no' in unison. It was weird, considering that they'd probably be the ones most motivated to be celebrating her birthday. Hoshimi was sitting on the floor, her legs bent and up in the air, swinging around.

"Tch, the girl spits out rainbows and butterflies." I heard Bon grumble, crossing his arms. Shima was blushing, looking over at Izumo as she sat next to Hoshimi with a blush.

"I-I didn't know Izumo-chan had this kind of side to her." He whispered to himself, and blushed slightly, gently nudging Konkemaru, who sat next to him. I snuggled into the blanket I had, then perked up, an idea rushing into my head.

"Why don't we give her a surprise party?" I ask softly, and look up at Rin with a hopeful smile. "Nat-chan is a friend, and I want to surprise her with something special." I state with big puppy eyes as I look up to Rin again. "Please?" I plead, and grin when he slowly nods, trying to bite back a smile as he did so.

"Fine. But don't make a mess! I might as well show you her favorite cake, and how to make it, and- you know what, nevermind! I'll just do it!" He blushes out of embarrassment, and quickly leaves before any of the guys could make fun of him.

I only giggle, faintly blushing as I trot after him, waving as we exit the dark room and enter the bright kitchen.

* * *

Rin's POV:

Standing now in the kitchen with Shiemi, I started to pull out the ingredients needed in a pumpkin muffin cake. I take out pumpkin pie mix, and added the eggs and baking soda.

"Where's the sugar, Rin?" I heard Shiemi ask, crouched at the pantry. I pointed to the other pantry that sat beside me, and so she nodded and smiled at me before trotting over to the pantry beside me, now getting a container that was full of sugar. "Is it this?" She asks, holding it up. I nod, and hold out my hand to take the container, but instead she shuffles closer to me, to look over at the recipe and pours the amount measured into the glass measuring cup in front of me.

With flushed cheeks, I shook out my hair after releasing it from the hair clip, and pulled my bangs back into its hair clip. "Yosh~ Let's get started on mixing them together." I bring out the mixer, and hand it to her. She nods slowly, seeming fascinated as if she hadn't held one of these machines before. She probably hadn't ever held one of these, though. "Here, you hold it like-" I turned it on accidentally at its max, sending batter flying everywhere.

Shiemi squealed as she tried to turn it off, and then just pulled the plug, her nose and cheek topped with cake batter. "Baka." I scolded as I start to wipe her face, holding her chin with my first three fingers, blushing faintly. She only smiled sheepishly, and I blushed a little more. Damn, why'd she have to be so damn adorable? I asked myself, then smiled.

"There you are." I look at the other bowl that had been successfully mixed by the other cook-one of Mephisto's familiars- and smiled in relief. "Let's just put this in the sink." I suggest, and take the bowl from her hands, patting her head as I set it down, filling it with water. "Arigatou! Good job, buddy." I gently pat the familiar's head, and so he smiles, clearly satisfied that he was complimented.

"Let's get it into the pans then." She smiles faintly, and sprays the two circular pans before looking at me expectantly, and blushes faintly. I smile and pour the batter in, licking my lips.

"She'll love it; it'll be delicious!" I smile assuringly at her as we both put the cakes in the oven, closing the oven's door and starting to clean up the mess.

* * *

Nat's POV:

Kneeling in front of the altar of the shrine, I rang the bell as I clasped my hands together. "Tadaima." I whisper, and close my eyes. "Konichiwa, Okaa-san, Otou-san. I missed you." I greet the pictures splayed all over the wall.

On one side of the huge tapestry was a collage of pictures from my mother's side of the family-the parts of the clan who were born into the clan. There was my mother; a woman who wore a golden kimono with silver branches on her side, a fierce, determined look in her golden amber eyes.

Above her stood the picture of my grandmother Emiko, who had dark, gray streaked hair, specks of tan on her pale cheeks, and her dark, soil-like brown eyes gazed knowingly into my own. My grandfather and father were next to them, both of them on the left side of the wall.

"I couldn't bring myself to bring Rin with me, nor Yukio. They have better friends than I could be, and so I didn't want them to be here for now." I slump a little, tears filling my eyes. "S-Shiro-san...h-he… he passed this year. He couldn't come today. He won't come anymore. Gomene. I know he was everything to the t-two of you…" I whisper, and curl my fingers into the hem of my shorts, tears dripping onto the wooden floor.

"I-I never got to...never got to thank him, and so...I have to protect my family. Oh…" I mumble, and wipe my eyes with my index finger, and smile faintly. "I-I got a new member of our family. H-Her name is Hoshimi, and she is only about 14. She's also like Rin and Yukio, but she has the silkiest strands of white, and the bluest of blue eyes. She's like me, in a way. She wants friends and family, like I did, and so I gave both to her."

I smiled a little more, and set my bag down, shuffling through it. "Here, Otou-san." I smile sheepishly, and put out a box that had his favorite food; Yakitori-pork chunks that were cooked and put into a teriyaki sauce by Rin- before smiling bitterly. "I guess it got a little messed up on the way here." I say sheepishly, and smile a little.

"Okaa-san, I have some Mochi here for you too. I tried to make it myself, like you always did." I pass her a plate with a triangular glob of rice that was a pinkish color. "Gomene, if it-if it tastes bad." I murmur, and bite my lip, more tears tumbling down from my chin to the floor.

"I-I hope...I hope you all can be proud of me when I grow older...I want to have my own family, and-and to be able to live normally; in peace! But I know I can't do that, so...I want to make you proud." I whisper, hearing the wind rustle, and Ramses-who stood outside grazing on the grass that grew in the clearing. "Gomene, Ramses. I know I should be leaving by now, but…" I let out a soft sigh.

"Okaa-san, I think...I think I like a boy." I state bashfully, but the feeling immediately goes away, knowing that she wouldn't respond. No one would. "Anyways, I should be leaving now. I wanted to visit you all after taking care of everyone else. And… I'm sorry. I'll always be sorry for what happened. I know it won't change anything. So… I promise I'll protect my family." I state softly, then look up.

"Ja ne." I say with a light voice, standing up and bringing the bag with me, sliding the door closed with my fingers, and mounting Ramses, starting to trot back to the stables.


	25. A Movie, and Looking for Presents (Pt1)

Hoshimi's POV:

I sat next to Konkemaru, my stomach on his back as he laid down sideways , talking to Shima. I grinned, faintly blushing as I propped my chin up with my fists, clearly fascinated with the movie we were watching; Divergent. I was clearly annoyed though, because when I first came-I more of a likely barged into her room, but oh well, potato potata- to True Cross, I had found a book on Nat's night stand, and it was called "Divergent."

So, a few days later, I had read the whole Divergent series. So, now I had full understanding of what was happening, and it was not all accurate. I huffed, swinging my legs back and forth, waiting for Nat to return. "Konke-chan, when's Onee-chan gonna come back?" I whine, rolling on my back and looking at him. Hearing Koko laugh softly, I looked up and was now sitting on Konkemaru's back as I looked at the girl in front of me confused. "What's so funny?" I pouted, and looked at Koko as she smiled at me.

"Nothing, you two just look like an adorable couple." She cooes, and smirks slightly. Konkemaru blushes a lot, and my cheeks darken to a crimson red as I quickly shake my head.

"C-Chigau!" Both of us yelp. I shoot away from him, and blush even more when he blushes and smiles sheepishly at me. I huff and quickly look the other way.

"Whatever. He's just my good friend, that's all! He's Konke-chan, any girl would want a guy like him! He's sweet and funny and adorable and cute and nice and he's just-he's just Konke-chan!" I yelp, my cheeks flaming as I quickly smack Bon's arm, quickly running away.

"Ite! Why'd you hit me, you rainbow spitting Baka?!" Bon yelped, and flicked me off before sitting back down. I didn't answer, but just ran out the door.

* * *

Izumo's POV:

"Bon, you didn't need to yell at her like that." Yukio states sternly, pushing his glasses up with his middle finger.

"She didn't need to hit me!" Bon protested, crossing his arms and mumbling something under his breath. I let out a soft sigh, and stood up. "Where're you goin', Kamiki?" Bon scowled, crossing his arms. "Shit! We have to get presents for Nat!" He yelps, and shoots up starting for the keys to his dorm. Seems like someone's really immersed in getting the birthday girl a good present. I think, and smirk lightly. Something fun to blackmail him with.

"I'll go check on Hoshimi, she's probably in Nat's dorm." I announce, pulling on my shoes before flexing my shoulders. "Don't burn the building down, there are people in it." I state with a huff, and cross my arms before opening and slamming the door shut.

Knocking on Nat's door, I slowly opened the door, finding it was unlocked. I peeped my head inside, to find that Hoshimi was curled up watching the clouds on the window seat of Nat's dorm. "Yo." I mumble, closing the door behind me and leaning against the wall next to it.

"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be with minna getting ready?" Hoshimi murmured, her voice muffled against her hair and her hands. I only chuckled slightly, my cheeks flushed as I sit down across from her.

"There wouldn't be 'minna' if you weren't there, Hoshimi." I state firmly, and smile faintly. "Now let's go back and help get presents, ne?" I start, and hold out my hand to her. "Nat wouldn't want you to sulk, she-" I frowned, seeing that her cerulean eyes were filled with tears. "G-Gomene!" I yelp, and start to bow, embarrassed that I was doing such a thing for someone I barely knew. She sat in between Nat and I, while Nat sat in between Hoshimi and Rin. I swear, those four are inseparable; Yukio, Rin, Nat, and Hoshimi.

"I-I just wanna get a good present for Onee-chan; she's done so much and I don't know how to repay her!" She cries, and starts to scoot closer to me until she rests her head on my arm. "I-I mean if it weren't for her I'd be-"

"I know. She's nice to everyone." I mumble, and pat her head.

"Right." She smiles and starts to wipe her eyes, flattening the front of her white blouse. "Alright, let me just put on my-" I hold out the pair of black converse in front of her, a chuckle from my lips.

"Baka." I mumble, taking one of her feet and slipping the shoe over it. Tying the shoe laces, I pushed the leg away, and huffed, crossing my arms. "There, now we need to go." I announce, and grab her hand before dragging her out of the door, towards outside, where our friends were waiting.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I stood in front of a pet store of the mall, really tempted to buy an animal for Nat, but stopped myself. I then remembered something from when it was Nat's 6th birthday, and Shiro had taken the three of us for birthday shopping.

* * *

_About 10 Years Ago- Rin's POV:_

_"Papa, let's go to the pet store!" I suggested as I tugged on Nat's and Yukio's hand, jogging up to Shiro. He turned and grinned, nodding in agreement._

_"That's a good idea! I mean, the more the merrier, I always say!" He chuckled softly, causing me to grin, feeling proud of myself that I was able to convince Shiro to do something. We started to skip happily to the pet store, but Nat stubbornly stopped in her tracks, pointing to the animal shelter._

_"We should go there." She stated quietly, her eyes meeting ours directly, so we could see the care and passion in her eyes as she said this._

_"Why?" Shiro mused, crouching to her level. Nat closed her eyes, then opened them again, as if she had decided something._

_"I want to go there because animals who are in need of care are there, not ones that are already treated well. No one would really think of going to an animal shelter, much one that has familiars there instead of regular animals. I want to help any animal, demon or not." She explained, her voice growing stronger and more confident._

_Shiro smiled faintly, as if this made him remember something. "Alright kiddo, lead the way." He stated, and so Nat nodded, grabbing our hands and starting towards the animal shelter. _

* * *

Present-Rin's POV:

"Let's go to the animal shelter." I state firmly, before stretching. "Now. Let's go!" I cheer, and take Hoshimi's and Yukio's arms, starting to lead them towards the section that was yipping with the sounds of barks and exotic animals.

Once we got there, we looked around, until we heard a loud meow. We turned to see a huge black cat, with luminous amber eyes.

"Ya-mi." It rumbled, its voice low but very soft. I crouched to it, and rubbed under its chin. I looked down to its feet, and saw that on one side of its hind right leg, he had a long scratch that ran from his flank to his paw. "Ya-mi. Ya-mi." He meowed, sniffing my leg and saying the word 'Yami' over and over again.

"Hm, you seem like a nice one." Yukio mused, gently petting it, and holding out a slim bowl, filling it with a clear liquid. Instead of bounding to it, it scrunched up its nose and turned his nose away from the catnip wine, in which Kuro took most delight in finishing.

"Yami means 'Darkness', right?" Hoshimi murmured, seeming fascinated with the cat. She picked him up, and smiled. "Yami. That's your name. Do you like the person we know, Onee-chan?" She says to the dark furred cat, who only meows and nods, as if he can understand.

"Yosh~ I think we've found our present for her!" Hoshimi grins, signing the paperwork the clerk gave us before setting Yami in her arms, starting towards the entrance of the clothes store; where the rest were shopping for the birthday girl; my sister.


	26. Looking for Presents (Pt2),and Surprise

Koko's POV:

I looked at the clothes, and let out a soft sigh. I don't exactly know what to get her. Looking over to Yukio, I huffed, slightly embarrassed that I had to ask him what she wanted. I was scared to, really. I was probably scared to make a fool of myself, hopefully that was it? "F-Four eyes!" I sputter, and my cheeks flush- hopefully very slightly- as I strut over to the boy who was observing a video tape recorder.

"Yes, Koko-san?" He asks softly, though his voice was firm and chiding. I smile faintly, and blush more as I tug on his sleeve.

"I-I need help with a gift for Nat." I mumble, and look to the side so he can't notice that I'm blushing. I blush a little more, wondering when I had started to act like this. I think I remembered, but that was a while back, really. Anyways, I need to focus! I slapped my cheeks, causing Yukio to stare at me with surprise.

"K-Koko-san, what're you-"

"I-I'm getting prepared to think of gifts!" I quickly yelp, and let out a soft breath before observing the swords. "What would you think she'd like?" I asked softly, my mind swirling like a tornado with thoughts of presents to give the dark headed girl.

"She likes animals. but-and this is something I normally don't tell anyone- she also likes sweets. she has a major sweet tooth. You could also go with her to the Festival here, she loves the outside and the people. That's something the three of us used to do all the time…" He trailed off, seeming drunk in a blissful memory.

"Thanks for the suggestion!" I cheered, waving my hand as I start to jog towards the bakery.

"No problem." Yukio stated softly, though he seemed almost disappointed that I was leaving. I blushed faintly, now thinking to myself as I plopped down onto the bench, and I looked over to the cell phone contact that had the letters 'NAT' on it. Should I call her? I haven't really talked to her in ages...I thought to myself, letting out a soft sigh. She had left before any of us had been able to greet her 'good morning'; Yukio and Rin had both quickly said that she had gone to run some errands at a village.

Hoshimi and Bon seemed the most disappointed that they couldn't see her, Hoshimi because they were now the best of friends and roommates-it's kind of weird not to see your roommate in your dorm-, and Bon because he probably wanted to just observe her, or maybe even fantasize about him and Nat doing dirty things, which I figured would never happen out of his right mind.

chuckled lightly to myself, then pressed the green button, holding the phone up to my ear. _Here goes nothing._

* * *

Nat's POV:

I sat on the train, my figure curled up in a corner as I waited for the next stop to quickly get a drink. Hopefully, that would be one thing I could keep down for a few minutes or more. I felt a buzz in my pocket, and so I jerked from my sleepiness, shaking with the buzz and falling off my chair. With flaming cheeks, I quickly clamber back up to my seat and slide my finger over my phone. "Oh." I mumble, and slowly put the phone to my ear as I answer it. "Moshi moshi~" I slur, and stumble a little as the train stops. "Eh? Koyalee? Ah, alright. That's fine. Everything okay?" I ask sweetly, though my voice was hoarse and my lips were chapped. I let out a soft sigh, hopping off the train and pressing a button on the vending machine after slipping in my 100 yen.

I pressed on the Peach Water, but it did not come out, much to my dislike. I pressed then on the one next to it, which was a C.C Lemon. I then immediately press on a canned coffee, and then let a soft smile tilt my lips up to a smile. Nii-san always got a canned coffee when he was tired. Should I get Onii-san something? I ask myself, then nodded, as if deciding that I was going to.

Pressing on the Aquarius for Rin, I turned around to see the train was not there. I blinked a few times, before slowly putting the two other drinks in my bag, then sighing. "I guess I'll-" I heard a huff of breath, and so I turned about 90 degrees to the left slowly, to see a huge demon breathing heavily at the other side of the platform.

* * *

"I'm never gonna let go of my sword now…" I mumble under my breath as I sprinted away from the demon, that was a poisonous gas. I did not have my sword with me, and my familiars were in their own world at the time being. I did not let them come with me to my house on this day. I gasped for breath, now slumped against a wall of an alley, holding my chest. "Never...running...again." I sputter between wheezes, and glare out at the main street. Great. Just great. First I miss the first train back, and now I got chased by a demon. Without my sword, nor my familiars.

"I see you're in quite a twist, Natsuki." I hear someone muse, and so I look up to see Amaimon with a lollipop in his mouth as he fiddled with it.

"I guess." I state with a quieter voice. "H-Hello, Amaimon-san." I murmur bashfully, my cheeks flushing slightly. "I have something to say to you." I blurt, then blush from embarrassment.

"Huh?" He looks over at me uninterested, and so he only plays with his lollipop stick with his claws. I close my eyes, and next, I clutch the hems of my shorts as I look back at him.

"I-I think that you're your own person. You're not just one of the Eight Demon Kings, nor are you just one of Satan's sons. You're Amaimon...and...I think you're lonely. S-so I want to be your friend!" I stutter, and look at the ground. Looking up at him again, I smile sheepishly. "That's what I wanted to say. Ja ne, Amai-chan." I leave a voice with a gentle, almost comforting tone, and then push myself off the wall, starting to walk out of the alleyway to the light of the main streets.

"W-Wait." He looks at the ground, and then stares at me. "Why won't you kill me? Why aren't you angry at me anymore?" He asks, confused-yet...happy. I smiled a little, and stepped forward, before placing a gentle hand on his head, bending down so I could look him in the eyes, him crouching and I standing.

"There's a thing I learned from someone. Even if...even if they've done horrible things to you, I believe that you should forgive them. That's what I learned. I learned forgiveness." I then got up, and started to jog towards the sounds of the liveliness of the festival.

"Ja ne, Na-chan." I heard his voice softly mutter, before I could sense that he left. I smiled faintly, and started towards the bustling streets that were full of laughing children, and the people that had such happy, innocent lives.

Sometimes, I wished I could be like them. However, without the influence of my parents, of Shiro, Rin, Yukio, or anyone from the church, I'd be a different person in general. So, I loved my life that I had, even though there were flaws that made my past a shady one.

I closed my eyes, then started to jog back to the train platform, seeing the next train come in.

* * *

Bon's POV:

I sat with Konkemaru and Shima, impatiently waiting in the darkness of Rin's dorm. The rainbow spitting idiot and Izumo were crouched behind the couch, while Koko breathed out loudly from under the computer desk next to Shiemi. Rin and Yukio were sitting on the bed of Rin's worried, as if they never celebrated Nat's birthday. That would just-just be wrong if they didn't. "Don't you guys have any idea when she'll be back?" I looked over at Rin and Yukio angrily, annoyed and impatient.

"Where is she?" Koko groaned, leaning her head back as she propped her legs up onto the desk chair. Thank kami we were in the darkness, otherwise the room would have been filled with blushing idiots staring at pink, orange, and black sheep.

"P-Pull your skirt up Koko!" Izumo hissed, her cheeks flaming as she swatted Shima's head as he stared at Koko, a hurt expression on her face. I frowned, slightly confused but then smirked. _The girl has feelings for the perv, doesn't she? Good blackmail, indeed._ I chuckle, then hear the door start to open.

"O-Onii-san? Nii-san?" I heard Nat's soft voice echo through the room as she set down her bag, then she stretched as she flipped on the switch. She then squeaked, closing her eyes with flaming cheeks.

"K-Koyalee, put on a pair of leggings!"


	27. Presents, and the End of a Celebration

Rin's POV:

I cut the cake that had green icing and golden flowers over it; the top of the cake had handwriting that spelled, 'Happy 17th Birthday Nat'. I held out the biggest slice to Nat, who politely declined. I smiled faintly, and patted her head.

"We have presents for you, Onee-chan. Damn. I can't believe you're older than me now~" I whined, and then hugged her. "But you'll always be my little Onee-chan." I smile, and hold her close. She blushes and smiles,before patting my head.

"Oh! Nee-chan, we can start." I grinned, then snapped my fingers, calling 'Yami' over my shoulder. The black cat slowly limped over to the group, everyone gasping at the dark furred cub. Nat's eyes widened as it sat down in front of her, sniffing her fingers that she held out for him.

"Yami. Yami, yami." The panther cub mewed, now a little more talkative around the birthday girl.

"Yami is a very nice name for you, boy." She stated back softly, and held him in her arms as she kissed his head. "Now up you go." She gently nudges him up to her shoulder, in which he takes cover in her hair and curls up, falling asleep. She smiled, and set him down on the couch before hugging Hoshimi and I. "Arigatou."

"Next is mine!" Koko yowled, and smirked as she tackled Nat in a hug. She handed her a slip of paper, then grinned as Nat only smiled faintly, looking up at her.

"Alright. I'll do that." She stated softly.

"Oh! Next is Izumo-chan and mine!" Shiemi yelped, and smiled sheepishly before holding out a box that was wrapped in ribbons. Nat slowly opened it, then smiled a little.

"O-oh. M-My favorite books, Percy Jackson and the Olympians…" She murmured, though I knew she was out of it. It wasn't normal for her to receive birthday presents on the day that her family died. Of course, none of the friends she had gathered around her knew about this.

"Now is mine." Yukio stated with a soft smile. He handed her a video tape and a pistol, and her eyes twinkled just the slightest as she held the two close to her chest.

"Y-you really-"

"Of course. They were our memories." Yukio said simply, and smiled. She smiled back, and kissed his cheek softly. I smirked lightly, noticing how Bon's eye twitched as she did this.

"Now's ours!" Konkemau and Shima held out a packaged rectangular shape, and so I watched Nat take it with slightly trembling fingers. Unwrapping it, her eyes widened slightly. "Remember?" Konkemaru grinned slightly, causing Hoshimi to blush and quickly turn the other way. Nat only nodded, flipping through the papers of the scrapbook.

"We made it ourselves." Shima announced, seeming proud of himself. Hearing Nat giggle made my lips twitch up for a few moments, then go back to an amused smirk.

"None of us could trust Shima getting a present on his own," I smile cheekily as I laugh good-heartedly. "Anyways, let the cockhead show her his present." I concluded with a game-show host's voice, before smirking lightly at the boy who was glaring at me.

"Uruse! It's not a cockhead!" He growled, before thrusting the package forward. When she opened it, her cheeks flushed and she smiled sweetly at Bon, tackling him in a hug and kissing his cheek softly, causing him to blush.

"It's so kawaii~" She purrs, and smiles, sitting with her legs tucked out ward, the box set on her lap as she looked through it. "Hm, let's see." She murmured, and blushes as she takes out a booklet of note cards. "Coupons for the Birthday Girl; Special Edition." She read out loud.

"R-Read the rest in your head, Baka!" Bon exclaimed with a panicked voice, his cheeks a deep red. She only smiles sheepishly, before smiling at him.

"G-Gomene, Ryuuji." She cooes, before starting to hum as she reads it. Her cheeks flush and she smiles goofily on one of them. I look over her shoulder, and stifle a laugh. It said 'Free Piggyback Rides'. Kami, I was serious. It's so obvious now. He's got it bad. Watching her turn the page, her eyes widened as she blushed. The next card said: 'A Free Shoulder to Cry on (Can be used more than once)'. I saw her smile, and look at him with happier eyes than I've ever seen them before. Seeing this made my smile widen, and so I only hug her tightly when she was done reading the cards.

"My present was better, right?" I ask, my voice muffled against her hair.

"Of course." She assured me with a gentle smile, softly patting my hair. I smirk, and stick out my tongue at Bon.

"Ha!" I prance around the fuming boy until he starts to get up, and so I make a run for it and hide behind Nat. When everyone started to leave, Nat stood up, a sweet-but sad- smile on her face showed.

"M-Minna...I want you to know...Thank you. For everything." She states with a soft voice, though her words hit everyone's ears clearly. We all smiled-yes, even Izumo-, and wrapped the birthday girl in our arms as the sun set outside.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I now lie in my bed, my side embraced by the panther cub next to me, and my other side pressed against Hoshimi. I smiled softly, and kissed her head gently as I started to sit up. "They really didn't have to go through this much; certainly not on this day, they shouldn't have done this." I murmur, but smile a little, brushing my fingers through Yami's fur. "Their friendship and love is enough." I chuckle as Yami's tongue gently flicks my finger, and so I pull my fingers back, shifting so I was now sitting on the edge of the bed.

Looking down at my pale yellow shorts and my Batman tank top, I started to quietly tip toe to my desk, where all of the other presents were. I picked up the first book of the second series; Heroes of Olympus. I curled up in the corner of my dorm-where I usually read my books- and started to read it.

Four books later, I wiped my eyes as I sniffled, closing the last book before more tears would be dropped onto the pages of delicate paper. Pushing the books gently into the bookshelf that was next to me, I tried to smile. "W-well...at least the war was now over." I reason quietly, but wipe my eyes all over again, remembering the ending of the book.

I then picked up the piece of paper that was an envelope-a creative idea, really- and smiled faintly. Since the festival of the Spring Equinox-my birthday- would be going on tomorrow, Koyalee wanted to go with me to it. They really didn't have to… I think sheepishly, then chuckle. I look at the bill of 2,000 yen, and close my eyes, leaning my head against the wall. Why did they have to do this on today? It's normal for them to, but...should I tell them? Or should I keep it from them, waiting until their cluelessness and thoughtfulness grows and blow it to them the next year? I shake my head. I'll tell them when I'm ready. I promised Ryuuji that I would.

"Mm...Onee-chan…" I heard Hishomi mumble, sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. "Why're ya over there? Our bed is over here...silly…" She chided with a chuckle, and then her white head flopped back into the pillow, her faint snore being heard again.

"Alright, Onee-san. I'm coming." I whisper, and then stand up, setting the envelope back onto the desk, tracing my finger over the package of coupons before smiling faintly, crawling back into my bed next to the younger girl and falling asleep.


	28. A New Mission, and Powerful Warnings

Two Days Later- Nat's POV:

I sat in between Rin and Bon, tearing my teeth into the curry bread that was in my hands. "Onii-san, Minna, we need to meet Mephisto-san for a mission request." I say softly, my voice muffled with curry bread. Bon sighed, grabbing a napkin and wiping my mouth with it, the napkin topped with crumbs of curry bread.

"Kami, you're like a little kid. No manners." He mumbled, blushing as he continued to pick up tiny rolls of sushi. I blinked a few times, now finished with my lunch and still hungry. I opened my mouth, and so he looked over his shoulder to me, confused with burning cheeks. "Oi, what're ya doing?" Noticing that I was finished with my lunch, he only rolled his eyes. "Rin, shouldn't you give her at least a little more food?" He suggests to Rin, who only shrugs with a cheeky smile.

"I couldn't let her get all big now, would I?" He teases, and so I quickly close my eyes, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Uruse!" Bon scolds, covering my ears with his hands. "Don't listen to him, Nat. You won't grow big for your life." I blinked a few times, and blushed a lot, opening my mouth again. "Geez." He slowly grabs the chopsticks, and takes a sushi with tuna in it, plopping it into my mouth. "There." He states. "That's all." He continues to eat, and so I smile and rub my cheek against his shoulder in thanks before chewing on my sushi roll.

"Anyways, Minna, I suggest we get going." Yukio pointed out, looking at his wrist that as clad in a watch under his jacket. I nod, and close my bento box before stuffing it in Rin's bag, and I look at Bon.

"Ryuuji, can I use a coupon?" I ask, blushing faintly. He blinks a few times, confused. "T-The piggyback one-" He then picked me up, setting me on his back. I yelp and blush a lot, before smiling, snuggling my head into his shoulder.

"Arigatou." I mumble against his shoulder, and look out towards everyone as we start towards Mephisto's office.

* * *

"So we have to go get a sea serpent that had gone astray and is now attacking the villagers?" Rin asked curiously, cocking his head to the side. Mephisto nodded, and smirked lightly at me, causing me to blush a lot, quickly looking down. He probably heard about what I said to Amaimon; and that I considered him a friend now.

"Yes. It's very simple, really, especially for such a high levelled person on this team." Mephisto said suggestively, causing my cheeks to burn. "Oh! The train ride's only about ten minutes, so you won't need to be on for long." He adds, handing us all train tickets. We thanked him, then quickly went out of the office. He clearly freaked all of us out. "Oh! Wait, Nat-chan."

I nod and start to go back into the office, but someone grabs my wrist.

"If he does anything weird, call for us, okay?" I hear Bon's reassuring voice, and so I nod, blushing as I go back into the office.

"Now, when will you tell them about your true rank?" He asks as soon as I close the door. I shrug, and smile faintly.

"When they ask, I guess." I state quietly, and let out a soft sigh.

"We both know that's not true." He points out, and so I close my eyes, letting myself calm down. "Anyways, this mission won't be hard. It's also about you controlling your emotions. The last time an enemy hurt your friends-" He pulls out a folder that was full of photos, every one of them from the beach where Amaimon had attacked our team. Now, the beach was destroyed on the land's side.

There was a crater in the middle of the beach of sand, probably where I had stabbed Amaimon. The cliff by it was falling apart slowly, Rin having landed against it had destroyed it slowly from the core. "See? You don't need to do that again. If you do, you'll turn more into a monster than a Guardian. And you wouldn't want that, now, would you?" He mused, a soft smirk on his face.

My lip trembled as I tried to search for words, but I couldn't find any. When I was about to say something-anything- the door was jammed open by Hoshimi, with people behind her. She was fuming, her tail flicking from side to side. "Oh, Onee-chan!" He smiled cheekily as he gently wound her tail around his fingers, walking around her. I pulled her to me, and let out a soft growl.

"Don't touch her." I warned, and told Hoshimi to put her tail back under her shirt. Rin chuckled, ruffling her hair. I only shook my head, taking both of them.

"Nat?" I heard Mephisto call after me, just as I was about to exit the room.

"Yes?" I ask softly, looking over my shoulder, bored and wanting to go on the train. "Say what you need to. Otherwise we'll miss our train." I stated gruffly, and stretched my arms above my head.

"Watch what you say. I can change your future, and I can certainly change your past, or relive the past." He warned, and my eyes widened as I stopped, my fingers trembling and my knees shaking. "Anyways, I wanted to say thank you. You made Amaimon seem a little more...happy? I dunno. Now you may go." He chuckled, and ignored the fact that I was almost shaking.

"Oh! Catch." He tosses a package, and so I catch it, tripping over my own feet. "That's your present from me. Hope you like it." He winks and so I blushed as I quickly closed the door, stuffing the package in my bag as I started to jog up to everyone who was waiting for me.


	29. Unknown Family, and a Bullet

"Sugoi~" Rin mumbled as he observed the huge sea serpent, that was a red scaled creature with brown eyes. "If it was fish, it'd make so much-ITE!" He yelped as Yukio slapped the back of his neck in a scolding.

"Just focus, Nii-san! Onee-san, you ready? Nee-san?" He asked Hoshimi and I, and so we nod, stepping forward. Then, I felt a tremor and caught Hoshimi as she fell to the side, unbalanced. "Minna!" I hear Yukio call out, and then a scream was heard. I turned to see Koyalee being choked by a girl with dark hair and blue eyes, her tan skin glowing in the sunlight and her freckles that sprayed over her face were barely visible.

"Down, boy. I see we've found what we're looking for." The girl mused, a soft giggle erupting from her throat. "Master will be proud." She smiles, and giggles a little more. "Egyn, I think you should come out now, we've found our prey." She states, though when she looks at me her voice is bitter and hateful. My eyes widen, and I start to tremble.

"No...you...I saw you…" I whisper, my eyes wide and my figure trembling. "H-half of your body...had…" I shake my head, and start to get up again, and look at her. I then stand in front of everyone, Izumo being dropped and caught by Shima, who quickly got Shiemi to help her get better.

"I've never seen such an eyesore." She spat, and glared insolently at me. I smiled faintly, even though it was sad and pained.

"It has been a while, huh, Cousin."

* * *

"O-Onee-chan!" I heard Hoshimi call out to me, but I shake my head.

"This is between me and her." I state firmly, and then looked back at the girl who stood in front of me, clad in a leather jacket, a ripped shirt that was dirty and jean shorts. Her boots were splattered with dirt and mud, as if she had been through a mud pit and obstacle course.

"You stand there like nothing happened. Like absolutely nothing happened that day!" She yelled, her voice pained and disgusted. I flinch, and I hear the shuffle of Rin's hand on my shoulder, though I only shrug it off, shaking my head. "You watched them! You watched him-"

"I could not do anything. I was only a toddler, cousin. I was three!" I yell, tears filling my eyes. "You think I wouldn't have done anything if I was older?! If I had at least some power; something?!" I feel hot tears of frustration, of sadness, of pain, of hurt race down my cheeks like rain droplets on a window. "I loved them, I cared for them! They were my family; they were my friends!" I say to her softly, tears dripping from my chin to the ground. "I had to watch him destroy you...half of your body was...was so bloody…" I whisper, and with trembling fingers, I cover my eyes. Then, I look at her, happy tears filling my eyes. "M-My family… is still alive. I'm not alone anymore." I whisper, and hold out my hand to her. "If you...If you need someone-anyone...I will always be here for you." I state gently, and blink back tears as she slaps my hand away.

"I can't go to the person who watched someone kill my family." She growled, her voice low and hoarse. I smiled faintly, then with teary eyes, lift up my hand so my fist would meet hers.

"Two opponents with the same strength's first strike can see what is going through their heart; their mind." I recite, and look into her icy blue eyes. With a glare, she smashed her fist against mine. Seeing my family's death in front of me, she fell on her knees, sobbing. I recoiled, seeing the darkness that had gorged out most of her heart, refilling it with lies and hatred.

"I hate you!" She screamed at me, her eyes now darkening with more and more hatred. I looked at the sea, which was now starting to erupt with powerful waves. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She cried, angered and horror-driven tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Daichi...It's okay if you hate me. But just know that I will always love you, no matter what you do." I whisper, and let my hand go slack against my side. She turns away from me, along with her wolf that had gray fur and black splotches on its paws and belly.

"Egyn, deal with them." She mutters, her voice sour. I turn to see the sea serpent, who was starting to slither towards us.

"Nat. Nat." I heard Rin say softly, though I just kept gazing at Daichi's back of her head-the only family I had left- who was leaving me. "Nat!" He called, shaking my shoulders. I jumped, and stared at Rin with glassy eyes. "What do we need to do?" He asked with a more gentle tone, and so I looked back at him with a sad and painful smile.

"Ryuuji. Yukio. Get your guns. Rin. Stay here with Koyalee. Konkemaru, Mika, get ready to say verses from the Old Testament; Genesis." I command, and then look at Shiemi, Izumo, and Shima. "Shima. Get ready to defend them. Izumo. Get out your familiars. Shiemi. Be ready to get Nee out for barriers and herbs for healing."

I then look back to the man who stood before me, his navy blue hair shaggy, almost to the bottom of his ears. He had algae green eyes, with tanned skin and gills on his neck.

"So you must be 'The Earth Guardian'. I've heard much about you. Your mother was almost elected Paladin. Very impressive, indeed." He chuckles, then cracks his knuckles. "She was almost a match for my father; your nemesis." He smirks slightly, and comes in front of me, tilting my chin up with his fingers.

"How a very much pleasure to be able to drown a beautiful soul like yours." He whispers in my ear, then pulls away, winking at me. I hold up my sword to his throat, kicking him away before jumping over to the ocean, sheathing my sword before submerging, morphing with my serpent familiar. "How impressive! A very unusual skill of your clan; to morph with your familiars!" He pondered, swimming next to me.

I did not answer him, and start to swim, my now earned tail starting to glide through the water. My breath was absorbed by my gills, which took in each breath deeply and clearly. I then turned to see his claw starting towards my hair, in which I cut off his nail of his index finger.

"Ite! Aw, you meanie!" He whined, a cheeky smile on his face. I then emerged, gasping for air. I shook my head, climbing onto the serpent, seeing the man now on his head. "Can't get rid of me that easily~" He cheers, and snickers as I stab my sword into the serpent, causing it to screech in pain.

"Now!" I call to Yukio and Bon, who aim their guns at its mouth and fire, a pistol and huge gun's beam mixing to form a bullet that had energy to cut through anything. It split through the snake's mouth, then out of the back of its throat, causing it to gag and wheeze for breath. I run up its back, clashing with the man. Watching the snake's end of its tail start to simmer into steam and dust, I started to back up closer to the base of its back. I smiled; Konkemaru and Hoshimi were stating the right verses. That's good.

"Now is time to drown my beloved soul~" Egyn purrs, appearing from behind me and shoving my frame into the water, jumping in after me. I gasped for breath, unable to contain Hibiki-my serpent familiar- because I could only morph for a period of time. I fought against Egyn, and smiled in relief when Hibiki bit Egyn in the leg, causing him to swat him, letting go of me. Swimming next to Hibiki, I quickly made my way back to the shore, coughing out water.

"Onee-chan!" Rin yelled, running to me and wrapping his arms around me. I smile faintly, but it immediately fades when a blast is heard, and a bullet case falls to the ground.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Minna~ I have some things to notify to everyone!

First: The bios of my characters will be on my profile! If you're confused with anything, just look at my profile to where my OCs are!

Second: I'm juggling a lot of stories around, so I'm really sorry if I don't update for a while!

Have a good day, minna~


	30. Surrender, and a Coupon

Nat's POV:

"Onii...san…" I whisper, seeing a bloody smile as he falls against me, collapsing on the ground.

"_Rin!_" I hear Shiemi scream, tears filling her eyes as she runs to him, not caring that Egyn was watching all of us, or that the serpent stopped dissolving into dust and water.

"Onii...san…" I state, my hands now bloody. I start to tremble, my fingers and knees shaking. Yukio's pistol falls out of his hand, and he starts to scream, tears falling down from his eyes.

"Ahaha, now's time for some real action!" Egyn claps his hands, applauding us. I felt my eyes start to change; my pupils starting to slit into tiny slivers, and my eyes changing to a cold, molten gold. My hair broke from its ribbon, whipping around freely like tiny rays of darkness.

"I-I killed...Onii-san…" I whisper, my fingers shaking visibly. I could see Shima's eyes widen, as he quickly backs away. "I-I killed Onii-san...w-with these hands…" I mumble, my voice growing weaker and more unstable.

"No… No! I-I couldn't have!" I cried, and started to feel searing hot tears trail down my face. "No… Chigau…" I start to sob, broken wails erupting from my throat as I start to roar, my bawls turning into angry screams.

"I see her real side's come out, this is going to be fun~" The man smiles, waiting for me. I did not need an invitation; I slammed headfirst into him, knocking him out of breath and spiraling across the beach, landing against some rocks. I breathe heavily, ignoring the surprised and horrified looks my team gave me.

"Look at this~ She's finally come to her senses." He narrated with a chuckle, it cut short as I brought my sword hilt down on his temple roughly, causing blood to flood from his mouth. Coughing, he gave me a little smirk, and I only cried harder as I look down at him, my knee pressed against his chest and my sword at his throat.

"Here's one thing you should know, beloved soul. You did not kill your brother. It was I." He starts to laugh, and my sword clatters to the ground. I then see Yukio and Shiemi gathered around Rin, who was lying down getting herbs pressed against him, Uke and Mike pressing clothes against his skin. I started to tremble, and heard his chilling laugh as he dissolved into water.

"Nat…" A soft voice soothed me, and so I looked up to see Koyalee. "He's gone. It's okay." She whispers, and slowly places a hand on my shoulder. I sensed the hesitation in her touch; the fear she held for me, and I only shook my head, getting up.

"Don't touch me." I whisper, my voice shaking. "It won't be okay. Not until Onii-san is okay." I close my eyes, and start towards Rin. Kneeling next to him, I started to try and heal him as much as I could; even though I was exhausted and battered.

I saw Konkemaru, Hoshimi, and Bon fall to the ground exhausted, the serpent now disintegrated. I smiled faintly, and my eyes turned back to their normal color, my hair starting to tumble back to my hips, my energy fading away as I healed my brother.

* * *

That Night-Nat's POV:

I sat on my bed, hugging my knees as I rubbed my finger over the note card in my hand. I felt tears form as I thought of what happened that day; Daichi-my cousin, my friend- arriving and leaving me again; my brother almost dying; and a warning from Mephisto that had been on my mind ever since.

I then looked over at the package next to me, before letting out a soft sigh, setting the note card on my other side before pulling the package onto my lap, gently pulling the tape off to show a beautiful snow globe that held a very familiar house in it. Was that...yes. That was it. That house in the snow globe was my home. My old home, not the one that Shiro and my new family rebuilt. The house that my family had lived in for years.

Tears filled my eyes, and so I sniffled as I set the snow globe down on my night stand. I then got up, still in striped socks and a school uniform, but faltered at the door. "Should I go to him? He might be sleeping…" I ask myself, and blush even more as I shake my head. "H-He made me these so I might as well use them…" I chide, and blush like a cherry as I ignore my inner argument as I pushed open the door, sliding down the hallway and out of the old dormitory of the boys.

Jogging to the next building, I opened the door quietly and then stopping, panting a little. Because I didn't want anyone to see me as I did this, I had ran up the three flights of stairs to his room. I blushed as I knocked three times on the door, and looked down, feeling my sniffles and my tears come back to my nose and eyes.

"Eh? It's nearly 12:00- Oh. Yo." He states, wearing only sweatpants. My cheeks flush, and I quickly close my eyes, looking the other way. "O-oh! Sorry." He blushes, quickly pulling on a shirt. "What's up?" He asks with a softer tone, and so I look up at him, my eyes glassy.

"I...I-I want to use one of the coupons." I whisper.


	31. Explaining, and a Locket

Nat's POV:

"You could've at least told me if you were comin' over, y'know." He stated softly, holding out a pair of shorts and a shirt. "Here, you can use these." He instructs, gently nudging me towards the bathroom to change. "You're soaking wet. Was it raining outside?" He asks as he turns the faucet of the bath. "You won't catch a cold if you go in the bath. I'll be right back." He points up a finger, then turns and starts towards the door, closing it behind him. I blink a few times, now confused.

"I...have to take a bath…?" I mumble, then blush out of embarrassment, noticing my clothes. "Oh. I see…" I smile sheepishly, then turn off the faucet, closing the bathroom door before undressing, wrapping a towel around me as I climb into the tub. I look at my hair that was all over the water, gently lapping and flowing with the droplets of water.

"I wonder what Daichi is doing…" I whisper to myself, and curl my knees to my chest, hugging them. "It's been so long…" I then pull my hair to the side, uncovering my back. I then frown. My markings on my back was a symbol of my cursed clan. There were beautiful, yet painful markings sprawled over my back, all coming from a beautiful starflower that had its center shown, with the markings vine-like, curling and shaping over my back to my shoulders.

I then heard a knock on the door, and perked up to see Bon with flushed cheeks as he comes in, slowly setting the clothing that he got from who knows where, and sat down uncomfortably behind me. Getting a bucket full of water, he slowly took my hair from my fingers, squirting shampoo onto my hair and rubbing it into my scalp, massaging my head as he washed my hair.

"A-Arigatou." I mumble, and softly sigh as he rinses my hair again.

"So what's wrong?" He asks, currently busy washing my bottom layer of hair. After a pause, I slowly leaned back a little, looking at my toes.

"The girl you saw...she was my cousin." After a stop with his fingers getting run through my hair, I let out a soft sigh, continuing. "She...she hates me...because...something had happened in the past… and she's not who she is right now. I could feel the hatred and lies and darkness pulsing through her when I touched fists with her...and...I have to protect her...She's my only family I have now, and so...I feel like it's my fault that this all happened to her." I ramble, and blush softly as I look up at him. "And so now seeing that she's with Satan, it makes me feel worse. Because-because I know that I'll have to be the one to kill her."

I sniffle, tears running down my cheeks to my chin, dropping into the water of the tub. When I felt my hair get let go of, I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind, and I blush a lot, getting pressed against Bon's chest. "R-Ryuuji…" I whisper, surprised and blushing. He didn't say anything, he only nestled his head in my curls of black and brown.

"We're here for you, y'know. Rin, Yukio, Koko, Hoshimi, Izumo, Shima, Shiemi, Konkemaru, and-and me. Always me." He mumbles, and I felt heat coming from his cheeks as he said this. I nod slowly, and close my eyes, blushing.

"We're all here. We'll be there with you. I promise." He states firmly, and smiles sheepishly. "Even if we don't seem like we are. I'll always be next to you." He smiled and pulled back, now blushing. "E-etto...you feeling better?" He asked quickly, his cheeks flushed. I nod and smiled, before shooing him out.

"Let me get dressed at the least." I scold, and get up when he closed the door, drying off myself with a new towel and pull on the things he brought, which were probably from Shima. I then stretch, now in all of the clothes he brought. "Arigatou, Ryuuji." I murmur, now warm in both the heart and body.

"No problem. If you need anything, you don't need to use those coupons, y'know. You can always come to me." He blushed, hearing how cheesy it sounded. "Y-you should've already known that, you Baka!" He quickly says defensively, then just blushes. "O-Oyasumi." He mumbles, and closes the door quickly as I leave.

Smiling bashfully, I quickly start towards my dorm, watching the sun start to rise over the horizon.

* * *

A Month Later-Nat's POV:

I sat uncomfortably in my seat, looking at Yukio and Koyalee, who were chatting and very occasionally joking around about something. Konkemaru and Hoshimi were blushing and awkwardly talking with Bon, Rin, and Shima, and Shiemi and Izumo were having a girly talk. Feeling a soft tremble, I looked up and flinched as some dust fell from the rusted ceiling, dropping to my nose. I sneezed, and looked embarrassed, then frowning. "Haru." I state, and she nods, sniffing the air then coughing.

"Master. It's her." She whispers, and she starts to tremble.

"Go back, Haru. I know you can't help me with this. I can barely do this myself." I whisper, and get her to go back to the familiar world, replacing her with Mika. "Ready, girl?" I ask her gently, holding the piglet close to me. She only nods, and snorts lightly, stretching her hooves.

"Onee-chan, I feel something off. It's been hotter and more sunny than usual…" Hoshimi stated softly, her fingers clutching my sleeve. I gently pat her head, and start towards the window, then crying out as the glass shattered, light burning through the windows. pushed Hoshimi down, holding out my hands for earth barriers to form like a wave in front of everyone.

"Mika!" I call out, looking for the piglet. She was now a boar, ready for me to get on. "Minna, we have to get out of here! Now!" I call out to them, and lead them out of the building, before it collapses.

"It's been a while, Cousin." Daichi's voice, protrudes from the silence of the gasps for breath. I get up, and tears fill my eyes.

"Minna...get back." I state quietly, my eyes filled with pain as I unsheathed my sword, it gleaming in the air. "Mika. Get Hoshimi and Konkemaru out of here, along with Shiemi and Koyalee. They will be needed to help treat people who are evacuated. Rin. Yukio, Izumo. Shima. Ryuuji. Go as far away from here, and don't look back. Go to the center of the light. You'll find him there. I saw what Haru saw earlier, her nose gives her images of what she smells. She saw Lucifer. Go. Now!" I instruct, deflecting the golden gleam of light as she thrusts forward her sword.

"Guess it's time to seal your fate." Daichi snarls, tearing off her locket from her neck. I nodded, slowly ripping mine off from my own. The locket that I now held had my death wish in it; it was to tear me from this world and to drag me to Gehenna, with no return. It was what all of our family members got eventually. When they thought they were ready to 'defeat Satan', our elders would fill their lockets with our sacred soil. This was like our lives here in Assiah.

"No! I won't leave you, Onee-chan!" Rin yelled, starting towards me, but another familiar-Haru-stopped him. He gave her surprised and horrified eyes, and so I only smiled, looking back to him.

"This is my own wish. Please tell them all that it wasn't their fault. It was my own for bringing you into this." I murmur to them, and smile a little more. "I really care for all of you. Live strong, and love. Make new friends, don't forget others, ne?" I feel tears drip down my cheeks. "Please don't be a Baka, Rin. Take care of him, Yukio." I don't bother to wipe my eyes free of the tears, and neither do Izumo, Rin, and Yukio.

"B-but-"

"Just listen to Haru. Take care of my family, Izumo. Make them your own. And please...please trust them. They're your friends." I state, and slowly drop the locket, it clattering to the cobblestone streets. "Ryuuji...please don't do anything too irrational-"

"Damn you, you Baka!" Bon roared, starting to run to me, but another familiar stopped him. This time, it was Yami. "Live! Don't give in to her, Nat! Please! I-We-We all need you!" He cries, but I only shake my head, looking back at him.

"I-I had fun...with you all. Ja ne." I whisper, tears falling to the ground as I unwound the bandages on my hilt of the sword, it glowing as we both stab our swords into the locket, her figure starting to glow a blue as mine glows a golden green. "I love you all...please don't forget that." I whisper, my figure crumbling into soil as I was taken to Gehenna.


	32. Daichi and Nat, Homes and Intro to Satan

Rin's POV:

Collapsing on my knees, I started to sob as I picked up the broken locket, holding it to my chest. "Onee-chan...Onee-chan...Onee-chan!" I wail, and bawl brokenly. I feel arms wrap around me, as I look up to see Yukio with tears running down his face.

"Why...did she have to do that…" He mumbled, his frown quivering. Bon didn't say anything, but the tears running down his face told it all. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to let her go. He could never be ready to let her go. I started to tremble, my fingers full of the soil that was on the street.

"Let's go." Haru's voice interrupted my thoughts, and so I took my time to glare at her. Before lunging at her, Yukio grabbed my frame, barely able to control his own self. "I will explain what happened. However, if you don't get your act together, what she did will have been in vain, and you all would be useless." She growls, getting up with Yami. Tears were running down her face as she padded along, Izumo next to her. She was sniffling, and was standing next to Shima, who was still dumbfounded.

"Fine." I mumble, then get up unsteadily, leaning on Yukio. "W-What did she do? Is she-is she not dead?!" I ask frantically, hope swelling in my chest. Bon only tightened his grip on his gun, his face dark and his eyes deep in grief. He loved her, and she to him. Everyone could see that. The past month was full of their relationship growing, but then again, it was for everyone.

"If she was dead, what do you think I would do?" Haru growled back, and rolled her eyes, if that was possible. "She's not dead. But it's as good as dead, the fate that she's chosen." She lets out a soft sigh. "Her clan is very powerful, but very flawed. They were kind people who cared for others, but sometimes in the generations, there were some who chose the path to go straight for what they thought was jackpot; defeating Satan. But doing this, going to Gehenna and defeating Satan; it's impossible."

"Nevertheless, each child is given a locket. That locket is filled with sacred soil; it's like Holy water in your description, but it's much more powerful. It holds our body and our connection to Gehenna and Assiah. When a child is ready, they are to pass a test. If they are to pass the test, they get to choose; whether or not to go after Satan and close your fate, or to continue with life, keeping that locket. Because of an incident, Nat was never able to choose her fate. Now, Nat and her cousin are fighting to the death in Gehenna." Tears filled her eyes as a wolf trotted next to her.

"Daichi truly loves her family. She-she's stubborn and strong-willed, and she won't think that anyone is right. She is not her self anyways. Half of her body had been destroyed in the incident, and so in order to be able to have her body back, Satan gave her that, but instead took her heart and soul. Now, only her will and memory cling to that sliver of her heart, trying to keep her own self from disappearing into the darkness." The wolf whined slightly, and shook his fur. "Daichi and Nat will have to strive through." He stated softly, then looked at us with icy blue eyes.

"S-so...you're telling us...she's alive…" I whisper, and smile widely. "We'll get her back!" I grin. "We can get her back after she defeats Daichi and we can just go on! Right? R-Right?" I then bite back a whimper, seeing how their tails drooped.

"That's the thing. She can't."

* * *

Nat's POV:

I held my sword in my hand, my feet separated in a fighting stance. I stood in the middle of an arena, Daichi's figure standing in front of me. Her smile was sinister; evil. "D-Daichi...Please...please listen to me…" I whisper, and reach out for her. "I love you...please don't make me do this…" I whimper, and start to feel tears drip down to my chin and to the arena. I stumbled forward, then commencing in a fierce battle with my cousin.

"You're not as rusty as you were back then." She mused, holding her sword with two hands. "You seem more...driven. Motivated. Maybe even… caring? Protective?" She observed, then shook her head. "Nope. Doesn't fit the picture."

"Daichi...they're my family. I loved them. I was only three, and you two! Do you know how much pain I felt, having to see you all die for me?!" I cry, tears spilling down like rivers. "You all are my nakama! We stick together! We call each other's arms our home! If we don't have eachother, then what do we have?!" I yell to her, tears spraying over the sand.

"You're my home, and I'm yours! We only have each other now, because our homes were destroyed. We-We can meet our homes again...together…" I whisper, and hold out my hand to her. She slowly looks at me, tears welled in her eyes.

"O-our...family…" She whispered, then I embraced her.

But, with tears, I thrusted my sword through her chest, my sword sprouting from her back. I let out a soft wail as she went slack over my frame, her figure falling to the side, her left side of her body slowly crumbling into soil. "Gomene, Daichi." I whisper, my voice choked with tears. I heard a faint sound of applause, it growing louder as someone grew nearer. I turned, and bile crawled up my throat as I saw who it was.

"Well done~ Let's see how much of your family you can kill." The cerulean eyes stared into my soul, my trembling growing stronger. A familiar figure stepped out from the shadows, his hands clasped together.

"Satan."


	33. Fates, and Bonds

Nat's POV:

I looked down at Daichi's body, my tears mixing with the soil as she slowly crumbled into soil. I quickly picked up the soil, a bud of a seed nestled in the soil. _I'll take care of you now, Cousin. I promise._ I turn back to Satan, who was applauding me.

"Bravo! Must've took you some guts, huh?" He chuckled, spreading out his arms. "This all is what will be left of Assiah! And it will be beautiful!" He bellowed, and roared with laughter. Looking around, I started to notice more things in this scene. Instead of random bodies, they started to form into bodies of my friends, my family. Blood was everywhere, pooling around the dead bodies of my teammates and the animals, my familiars slaughtered and their blood painted on the walls and the sky. I winced, and shook my head.

"You're lying." He stopped, and looked at me, confused. "You're lying. That's not true. Not at least until I die. Which I'm not going to! I'm not going to let my family- my nakama- die in vain for some petty girl who wasn't able to defeat who she was supposed to!" I state, and throw my arm to the side. "I don't care if you live. Lies and hatred and despair lives on, even if we do defeat you! You will still strive to live, and I will learn to accept that!" I said with a strong and firm voice, though I did not really know what I was saying, really.

"Everything has to happen for a reason. We are given the fates we have because Kami-sama knows that we are able to live and strive and move forward, even if our past and our future is painful!" I smile bitterly. "Kami-sama gave me the fate I have, because I'm an Earth Guardian! I'm an Earth Guardian, and I'm proud of it!"

"W-What?!" He shivered, his figure flickering. "What?!" He then roared, now angered.

"Even though my past is shady-even though my past is not something to be proud of, I still have my family!" I shout, my sword now in my sheathe. "It is obsolete to fight you. You will live on, and so will I. So will Assiah, and so will Gehenna. Forgiveness for demons, for people, for actions is important. But. I will never forgive someone like you! You haven't only hurt my family, you've hurt your own brethen; your sons; your daughters!" I state, and shake my head. "You've given them pain, and even so-"

I feel tears slide down my cheeks, remembering Rin's smile. Yukio's smile. Hoshimi's smile. "Even so. They still are able to smile so gleefully, so happily, even though there are people out there that hate them! For that, I will gladly die by anyone's hand to protect them. To protect my friends; to protect my family, my nakama." I see him start to fade, and he looks at his hands, surprised and very furious.

"Shut up! That isn't true, and you know it!" He pleads, and starts to flicker.

"I will push away that doubt, and replace it with my love!" I protest, and breath out when he gives one last scream, disappearing into blue flames. I fall onto my knees, and I cradle the soil and seed I had placed in my pocket of my jacket.

"D-Daichi…" I start to cry, my tears making the bud grow into a sprouting stalk.

"Dai-jo-bu, Onee-chan." I hear a familiar voice whisper, and so I look up to see Daichi, with her dark hair and her icy blue eyes that were warmed with love and sorrow. "Gomene, I should have listened to you. But now...now I am back in my home. I will always be your home, no matter what." She smiles, and another man appears before us.

I look up to see Azazel, a man with gentle eyes, and a hand stretched out to Daichi under his white cloak. His dark hair went over his golden eyes, and his pale skin faintly glowed like the sun. I sniffled, and slowly looked at him again.

"Hello, dear child. I understand your loss. You will meet them again, someday." He soothes me, wiping my tears with his gloved hand. Crouching down, he tenderly placed a kiss on my forehead, holding his fingers to my chin. I blush faintly, closing my eyes, even though it hurt to do so. "Now, come, dear child." He says gently to Daichi, who was standing next to me. She took his hand, after giving me another hug.

"Ja ne, Onee-chan!" She smiles and waves, before starting to trot with Azazel, before he stops, turning back to me. He waves his hand, and helps me to my feet.

"One last thing, child. I will let you go back to your home, for you have done a great thing here. My father is not a good man, and to have that love in you is very powerful and mighty. As a reward, I will help you back to your home." He explains, and holds my hand as I start to glow. "Farewell, dear one." He whispers, before my vision gets engulfed with white, the last thing I see is Daichi and the man waving at me, saying their goodbyes.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I frown, and look at Haru confused. "W-What do you-"

"She will." I hear someone mutter, and so I look over to beside me, to where Bon stood. "She will! She-she has too." He mumbles, his cheeks flushed as he said this. "She wouldn't have done that if she knew that she would die! She's Nat; she's a shy, adorably weird, amusing, and caring person; she knows what she would die for!" He states, clenching his fists tightly.

"What do you know?!" Haru roared back, her patience on her whim and her tears flooding down all over again. "I'm a part of her! You're only her friend! You're only someone who loves her, and you're only someone who's known her since a year!" She stated, her voice growing softer. "I-I've been with her for everything…" She stopped, slumping down so she was sitting. "S-since the incident...since her first fight with a sword...since she met Rin and Yukio. I've been with her for all of my life!" She bawls, covering her snout with her paws.

"I've seen her happiness, her sadness, her pain, her love! Seeing it again here, and to see it be taken away just like that, it-it doesn't just hurt me! It hurts her too, and she knows it!" She starts to shake, and so I just wrap my arms around her, my tears mixing with her fur and her own tears.

"I know, Haru. I know." I whisper, holding her head to my chest. "I know." I mumble, my voice choked by tears. I then hear a scream, and so I turn quickly to see Hoshimi running quickly to us.

"Nat! Nat! Onee-chan!" She cries, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Where is she?! Where is she?!" She screams, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Nat! Onee-chan!" She shouts again, her voice frantic.

"We saw a golden green and blue light and Hoshimi just started to sprint towards over here." Konkemaru explained, breathless. Hoshimi fell to her knees, seeing the pile of soil and the broken locket. She picked it up, her fingers trembling as she let out a bone-shattering wail, sobbing brokenly.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" She screamed over and over again, her face tilted up to the sky with tears down to her chin and jaw. "Why?! Why?! You-you're my family-my nakama! My sensei...My everything! I love you!" She finally cried out, her voice weak and hoarse.

"Then why don't you just join her, then, Hoshimi-chan?" Shima asked gently, then thrusted his staff forward.


	34. A Wanted Future, and a Return

Rin's POV:

"Hoshimi…" I whisper, blood splattering over us as it pooled over the floor, my sister's body falling forward. "Hoshimi!" I cried out, my eyes wide and shaking. Shima stood behind her, flicking the blood clean of his staff. "W-Why… Why?!" I yell, my anger spiking. First Nat, now Hoshimi… No. Not everyone of my family.

"I think he will like this blood. It's nice and pure." Shima mused, and dark flames started to envelope all of us. "There we are." He said with a sad smile. Izumo trembled, her knees shaking and her fingers fiddling with each other.

"S-Shima...Why?!" She whimpers, her eyes wide and teary-eyed. He looked at her, and his eyes softened.

"Izumo-chan…" He stated in a more soft voice, but it immediately hardened, as he grinned. "Why, you ask? Because Hoshimi, Nat, Koko, Konkemaru, Bon, Shiemi, Rin, Yukio. I hate them all." He chuckles, and I take a step back, feeling the black flames lick at my back and my neck, causing me to shiver.

"W-What?" Koko whimpers, her eyes filling with tears. "B-but...you're my...you're my friend!" She protested meekly, her eyes hurt and pained. "N-no...please…" She closed her eyes, pinching herself. "P-please let this be a dream…" She whispered, then winced, opening her eyes.

"Koyalee, it's not a dream." Yukio gently took her in her arms as she started to cry. "Please don't cry, Koyalee." He whispered to her, holding her tightly to him.

"Are you done with your sappy moment? We only have five more minutes." Shima looked at the two, and twirled his staff around, bored.

"What do you mean...five minutes?!" Bon could barely control his anger. Even though he did not like Hoshimi much, she was precious to Nat and he dealt with her because of the dark haired girl whom he loved.

"Oh, just five minutes until this fire consumes us all. Master commanded the demon to do this if I was found out. Even so, I was able to find out so much information…" He yawns, and examines his fingers.

"C-Consumes us?!" Koyalee squeaked, now surprised and very scared. Yukio only held her tighter, soothing and calming her.

"Yes. And the owner, which is me. The only way to stop it is to change the owner's heart." He only shrugged, but then got tackled in a hug by Izumo. "I-Izumo-"

"W-Why do you have to be such an asshole?!" She cried, her tears absorbed into his jacket.

"I know I'm an asshole, but-"

"But nothing! Why do I have to love such an asshole?!" Izumo shrieks, her voice broken and hoarse as she sobbed into his shoulder. The flames flickered, and he looked down at her.

"Y-you...love me?" He whispered, confused. His cheeks flushed, and my eyes widened. I tried to stay there awkwardly, and not break out into a grin or start to cheer, whistle, and roll on the floor happily sobbing for the two newly coupled.

"Of course I do, you Baka!" She hissed, then blushed as she looks up at him. "Please, stop being such a Baka and just come back! Why did you do this, anyways?!" She pleaded, tugging on his sleeve and looking up at him with unshielded eyes. Never have we ever seen Izumo this vulnerable, yet this determined. By this, we all knew that she was not kidding.

She truly loved Shima.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I gasped for breath, looking around my figure. I held my hand to the ground in front of me, seeing the sapling and the soil of Daichi's soul. I quickly gather it in my hands, afraid that it would break if I held it too tightly. "Where...am I?" I whisper, my voice choked with tears and my chest aching. "Huh?" I see a dome, where black flames were licking at the surface, seeming like it was closing in. "What...is-" I yelp, excruciating pain exploding from my back as I fall back to my knees, light shining blindingly from somewhere behind me.

"Master!" Yami's voice called out behind me, and so I turned to see Yami, his scarred leg heavily bleeding. When I had first adopted him, he had a scar running down from his right hind leg to the paw of the same leg. It looked like the scar had reopened, which was normally not possible. "Master, are you alright?" He asked frantically, holding my frame down with one huge paw and licking the blood, grime, and dirt clean with his tongue.

"Y-Yami, daijoubu!" I yelp, and squirm, trying to get him off. He only licked my face and my hairline like a mother to a kit, and I only huffed, finding a grassy plane and tucking the soil inside of the earth, placing the seed on top before filling the hole back up. There. Now you can live again. I think to myself, and smile faintly before feeling tears drip down my face to the ground. "G-Gomene, Daichi. Gomen." I whisper to the ground, and my lips quirk up into a smile. "I'm so sorry...I didn't...mean to…" I gasp out, then feel the earth start to tremble, a bud starting to sprout from the ground, forming a few branches.

"I-Is that your own way of responding, Onee-san?" I whisper, and smile faintly. I start to get up, and look at the fiery dome. "I'm coming, minna." I say with a shaky voice, and start to run towards my friends who awaited me.

* * *

Izumo's POV:

I felt tears fill my eyes as I rambled about why he was such a baka, but inside, I knew myself that I had fallen hard for this jerky asshole. "W-why do you have to be so perverted?! I-It's disgusting...and...and…" I sniffled, and just hit his chest as I sobbed into it.

"Izumo-chan…" He stated gently, dropping the staff to wrap his arms around me. "I...I was thinking...that...if-if we had lived...then we could've gotten married at the end of school or something...and we could've had a house secluded...and our kids would run around the house while you were trying to torture-"

"I-I would not torture them!" I protest, and glare at him blushing. He only shrugged, chuckling as he continued. I only blush, and stay quiet, listening to him.

"We would have your familiars here...and I'd make sure I wouldn't hurt them again...ever. Never again will I hurt them. They'd take care of the kids while you were at work and I'd be a really bad at-home dad, and you'd have the familiars scold me about my bad cooking and they'd make it themselves, and so I'd just try and keep the kids from killing themselves from being such bakas like you are…" He smiles a little, and so more tears flood from my eyes as I smash my lips onto his. The fire flickered down, and it started to get weaker and weaker. He looked surprised, and then he quickly kissed me back.

"Why do I have to love a baka like you?" I whisper, and hug him tightly. The fire immediately stops, and Shima clutches his chest a little, before smiling sheepishly.

"I guess you'll have to deal with me." He mumbles, leaning against me. I nod, seeming decided my answer.

"I will. I'll always deal with you. No matter what."


	35. Shiro's Bullet, and Hoshimi's Love

Nat's POV:

I looked at group of teens sadly, and smiled a little. I then saw them start to get up and look my way, and so I quickly turned away, hoping my dark hair and tattered uniform didn't show that I was the girl they knew. I winced, feeling someone tackle me.

"Nat!" I heard a familiar voice wail, and so I looked over to see Koyalee. "K-koyalee…" I whisper, and turn around. "H-hi...K-koyalee…" I feel tears start to drip down my cheeks as I hold the broken silver locket close to me, keeping my head lowered.

"N-nat...Nat… Goddamnit, Nat!" I heard someone roar, and so I looked up to see Bon storm over to me, his eyes red and puffy, his cheeks sticky with tears. Koyalee let go of my frame, only to let me get lifted up into the air, showered with curse words and happy tears. "Nat...you worried me so much…" He mumbled, his eyes pained but-but loving. "Nat, I-"

"I-I need to tell you something, Ryuuji!" I blurt out, tears flowing from my eyes.

"N-nani?" He mutters, and the group goes silent. I blush as I close my eyes, and look back at him determined.

"I-I need to tell you something. A-After we dispel the enemy." I mumble, my cheeks flushed. He nods, setting me down gently and patting my head, flattening my bangs. "S-stop!" I whimper, and blush as I squirm. He only smiled faintly, then nudged me to Rin. "O-Onii- W-where's Nee-san?!" I yelp, and look around frantically. "Nee-san...Nee-san!" I see Shima with a guilty look in his eyes, and so I start to tremble as I storm to him, gripping his collar as I start to cry again. "W-what'd you do to her?!" I yell at him, shaking him.

"N-Nat...I-I...Gome-"

"Chigau!" I scream, tears flooding my eyes again. "Chigau...Chigau...Chigau!" I scream. "Not her! Not Hoshimi!" I protest, and look around frantically. "Not another part of my family...Not another one…" I whisper, and see a silky strand of creamy hair. "H-hoshimi! Nee-san!" I cry, and collapse next to her.

She was clutching her stomach, a huge gash in her ribs. "N-Nee-san, daijoubu...I-I'll get you better…" I whisper to her, soothing myself as I kept on pressing against her wound. I concentrated, and kept on pressing and healing her. "C'mon...C'mon...Hoshimi, please!" I cried, tears dripping down to my chin to her cheeks.

"Onee...chan…?" She whispered, her voice weak and hoarse. I nod desperately, holding her hand and healing her with another.

"H-Hai! It's me, Onee-Onee-chan!" I choke down a sob, and quickly usher Koyalee over. "Y-you'll be fine! Just-just please bear with me!" I start to feel my tears splash onto her hair, her bloodied body.

"Onee-chan...are you...crying?" She whispers softly, and slowly tries to brush away the tears that trailed down my cheeks.

"H-hai. I...I am." I whisper, and start to bite back sobs and wails. She was dying. Her demonic side couldn't help her healing; it was too sudden and the staff had pierced her tail too, so first her cells would try to heal the tail first. "C-C'mon...please…" I pleaded, and my heart ached as I felt her own heartbeat start to fade. "No...Chigau…" I whisper, my figure trembling visibly. Hoshimi smiled bloodily at me, and her hand went slack, her eyes closing.

"No!"

* * *

Bon's POV:

I watched Nat start to sob and bawl over her dead sister's body, my chest aching. The girl who was sobbing had just lost her only family, most likely. Daichi had said something about them dying. Should I ask her? I quickly shook my head, and so I crouched next to her, trying to sustain my anger and guilt as I tenderly rested my hand on her shoulder, closing her eyelids of her flames of blue for eyes, that gazed onward to the sky.

"H-Hoshimi...N-Nee-san…" She whimpered, her figure shaking. "How...How dare you!" She screamed lunging for Shima, her eyes wide and pupils sliced to slits, and her teeth were bared with pointed ears and trembling legs and fingers.

"Nat!" I protested, wrapping my arms around her from behind, struggling with her. "Stop it! Yamete!" I tried to press her against me again, but she pushed backwards, causing me to fall, tripping over Nee and down to the ground. Making sure Hoshimi was in a safe place, I stood up again. "Nat, yamete. Would Hoshimi or-or Daichi want you to do this?!" I yell, and then she goes silent, her figure trembling even stronger.

"Guys, get out of here, now!" Yukio commands, slipping a golden bullet with green strips wrapped around it in his barrel, aiming the point of the gun at the girl who was roaring to the sky.

"W-What're you doing?!" Koyalee screamed, her voice cracking as she pulled the end of the barrel away from Nat.

"Shiro told us to do this if she got out of control." Yukio stated coldly, though one could tell that he was distressed too. "Her anger spikes up, but since that happens so rarely it comes out in full bursts. She's letting all of her pain out when she does this. This will only calm her down. It won't relieve the pain on her shoulders, though. No one can heal that." He states quieter.

I shake my head, stepping forward. "Hell naw." I stood in front of Nat, who was clutching her head, tears streaming from her eyes. "Hell no!" I yell, standing spread-eagle in front of her.

"Stop it, Suguro!" Yukio yelled, his voice pained. I looked into his eyes, and my eyes widened, seeing that they were pained. "Would I really hurt my own sister?!" He roars, his fingers trembling. "She's out of control; Shiro told us to do this if something happened!" He repeated. "I have to do this!"

"No! She-she's just in pain. Don't-don't give her more pain, dammit!" I protest, and look back at the girl, whose tears ran down her face and stuck to her hair. Her golden flecked green eyes were now golden, full of pain and sadness, like a broken mirror. "She's gone through a lot of pain." I mutter, then look back. "We-We have to calm her, but-but not in a way of hurting her. Hoshimi…"

I stopped, looking down at the girl whose frame was cradled by Konkemaru, the boy sobbing over her hair, holding her close. The two had grown close together over the month of calm. "Hoshimi wouldn't want us to hurt her." I state with finality. Turning to Nat, I see her clawing the ground, her hair breaking from its band, swirling around like razor sharp vines. "Stop this, Nat!" I call, and I start to lock a barrier around her with my arms. "Hoshimi-Hoshimi doesn't want this!" I shout, my voice slightly saddened and almost on the verge of cracking.

"I-I couldn't save her...I couldn't save either of them! T-They both-both died...there…" She whispered, her voice broken and weak.

"Nat…" I mumbled, looking at her as I wrapped my arms tighter around her.

"Just… Just let it go. Just let it all out."

* * *

Nat's POV:

I looked at the fabric pressed against me, tenderly touching it with the tips of my fingers. _Who...Who is this? Is this-is this- I don't know. I don't know who this is. But-but this shirt...seems familiar._ I pressed my fingers against it, and my eyes softened, green starting to blur the gold into tiny specks, my pupils starting to slowly grow fuller, into small circles. _This scent...It's my-my most familiar...besides Onii-san...and Nii-san..and Shiro. Ryuuji. It has to be._ I inhaled into his shirt, and my eyes filled with tears. _Ryuuji. My Ryuuji._ I started to whimper, my figure weak and trembling as I clutched onto his shirt. "Ryuuji...nande...nande…" I whisper, and start to cry again. "Nande?! Why does everyone I love leave me?!" I cry out, and look up at him. "Why can't I love someone without getting hurt?!"

"Nat...I know. I know how that- that people whom you love can betray you, or lie to you, or hurt you, or all of the above. I know that. I know that loving something-or someone- can give you pain. I know what that pain can do to you. It can make you bitter; hatred can grow over your heart; sadness envelopes your soul and eats away until there's nothing more. But-but you have to get over it, goddamnit!" He grabbed my shoulders, startling me to look up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"R-Ryuuji-"

"No! I won't have it!" He roared, his eyes angry but also protective, caring. The anger-oh, that anger- wasn't aimed towards me. It was aimed to Satan; the person who had hurt me.

"Suguro, you stop right-"

"Shut up! You would even hurt your sister! She-She just needs love." He stops, running a hand through his hair. "He needs friends! Friends who won't-who won't betray you." His voice grew quiet, and so I tenderly touched his shoulder, but flinched when he gently took it away.

"I have to comfort _you_ now, Nat! Me! Not you. You-you've done it too many times to yourself-to us. You've been your only friend! You! For so long, you've shut yourself out, relied on your head and your heart to soothe your raging emotions, and-and you've never asked any of us to help you." His voice cracks, as he shakes my shoulders. "You've never asked us for help!" He shakes his head, his grip tightening. "You're-you're Natsuki Hatome! You're Natsuki Hatome, the girl I love! You won't be taken out so easily by Satan, nor by any other opponent!" He states firmly, his cheeks flushing. Rin blinked a few times, and so did Yukio. They looked to each other, their eyes surprised.

"S-Suguro's grown up." Rin whimpered, wiping snot from his nose as he started to cry happily. "He's admitted his ongoing- Ite!" He yelped, and held his head as Bon snarled, irritation clear across his face.

"Uruse! You just ruined my speech!" He yells, blushing a lot. I blink a few times, and happy tears fill my eyes.

"R-Ryuuji…" I sniffle, and my fingers curl into his shirt as I start to sniffle, and hug him. My eyes came back to normal; my teeth were not bared anymore, and my mind was my own again. I hugged him tightly, and blused as I rubbed my face into his chest, not wanting to let go. When I looked out to the two of my siblings, I saw Yukio standing there, his gun aimed at the ground now.

"Gomene, Onee-san." He murmured, his eyes cast down to the ground; his blue eyes holding shame and hatred-hatred for himself. That the fact that he would be willing to hurt his own sister disgusted him, angered him, disappointed him. I frown slightly, and sniffle, wiping my eyes with my index finger before starting towards the boy.

"Nii-san…" I state softly, and place a head on his shoulder, tilting my head to the side in a smile. "Dai-jo-bu." I giggle faintly, and I wrap my arms around him. "You had to. Shiro told you that you had to if I got out of control." I sooth him, feeling hot tears stream down his face as he buries his head in my shoulder.

"It's okay. For right now, we have to go and find the heart of the light."

* * *

Hoshimi's POV:

I could not feel my stomach. I could not feel my lower half. I could feel, however, the tears splashing over my cheeks and hair as Konkemaru carried me frantically to a doctor. I could feel the funny vibrations my temples made as I tried to open my eyes; tried to tell him that I was alright. That I would wake up soon enough, I was just trying to heal. But I couldn't.

I heard the screams from Konkemaru telling me to hold on, that he'll get me to Shiemi or Koko, that it'll be fine. I smelled the scent of blood and rotting bodies, and saw the auras from every single sinning creature and demon that had fought on this day in this city. I tried to breath, but it was like a huge Sith demon or something had pounced on my chest and wouldn't get up.

"Please, heal her!" I heard Konkemaru sob out, holding my body forward to the familiar gentle hands of Shiemi. She nodded, and called over Koko, who immediately got some of Nat's familiars to find herbs. I felt the pain, grief, protectiveness, care, and-and love that emanated from Konkemaru. Why did I mean that much to him? "I-she- I want to take care of her, and to protect her! She-she's the first thing I've protected. She's-she's really precious...and fragile. She has a dream, that I want to help fulfill." He stated softly, and I could feel his eyes looking down at me.

"I want to fulfill it by her side! Though she may be impulsive, and rash, and really idiotic sometimes, she's Hoshimi, and-and I don't want to live without her! She's made me a lot more confident, and better with my Aria and strategic skills, and-and I couldn't repay her. I need her, just as much as she may need me." He whimpers, his lip quivering as he said the last few sentences.

"Don't worry, Konkemaru-san. We'll heal her. I-"

"No promises, Shiemi. Fate may have already cut her string." Koko interrupted Shiemi, and so she frowned, shaking her head.

"We will heal her! She-she's precious to Nat, and Rin, and Yuki-chan. So she's precious to me! And I will heal her!" I felt my eyes tear up, though I did not know I could even bat a lid. _Minna...you-you all care about me. I'm-I'm precious to you. Arigatou. Now I have the strength to get through the pain._

I heaved my chest up and down, and lifted the eyelid of one eye, though it shot many nerves full of pain up to my brain. I started to lift up one hand, and a blue fire erupted from my fingers, though I could barely contain the flicker of the warmth and love held in that flame. I gripped my tail weakly, and so Konkemaru quickly helped me, squeezing his hand over mine. _I will get through this. I will live, _I told myself, my other eye opening slowly._ I will make it through._

_For minna._

_For my friends; my family._

_For Konkemaru._


	36. Shiemi: A Hidden Strength

Shiemi's POV:

I feel the reassuring hand of Koko's on mine, and I only nodded, pressing the herbs against the girl's wound. "Something's happening inside her. It- Nee, get me something for poison please." I command, my voice filled with a little more confidence. I start to concentrate, and then start to slowly plunge my hand into her stomach from the hole in her body, resisting the urge to gag, or to look away from the blood pulsing out of her abdomen again.

"Oh my God," Koko gulps down bile as she looks away, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Konkemaru did not look over to her stomach; his eyes were locked on hers as he held her hand over her tail. Her chest heaved up and down painfully, each beat of her heart weakening. She was on death's door, so close to death yet so far away that she could see through to the other world.

"S-Stay with me, Hoshimi-san." I whisper, and close my eyes, and gasp in pain when I rip out a flaming piece of metal. The flames atop the chip of metal was black and full of venom; one touch of it would doom you. "Nee-chan! Please get the poison herbs!" I demand, starting to cough. "E-Everyone, cover your nose and mouth! Don't breath into the gasses!" I state, choking down the air around me. I did not care if I was going to get hurt- or even die- all I wanted to do was protect Hoshimi- Yukio's sister; Nat's sister; Rin's sister. She was precious to all of them, I could not let her get hurt. I was not as precious as she was to them, and I understood that. So, I will protect her, and make sure that she receives the love she needs.

"B-But what about you?!" Koko squeaks, her voice muffled by her tie wrapped around her mouth and nose. I only shake my head, and smile as I start to push the herbs against her wound, smiling as it starts to close up; the process was slow, sure, but at least she was getting better.

"Don't worry about me." I chided, a soft, sweet smile on my face. "I want to protect my friend. That's why I came to become an Exorcist. I have to protect the people I love. And I love Hoshimi. She is precious to everyone." I cough, looking down at my fingertips, of which I had gripped the metal with. They were blackening, the skin peeling and claws bloomed from the reddening skin. Hallucinations. "Get her to the infirmary, quickly!" I command, starting to cough more as I wrap my hand in a bandage.

"But what about you?! S-Shiemi, your arm!" Koko gasped, about to touch it; but I quickly pulled it away from her.

"D-Don't touch it, please!" I whimper, feeling my fingers and hand start to grow numb. Koko gives me a surprised look, clearly worried of my behavior change. She nods, starting to run with Hoshimi in her arms, Konkemaru trailing behind her. I start to see my vision dance with black spots, and then I see Rin's figure running to mine as I fall to the side. The venom had gone to my shoulder, to my neck. It was still spreading. Soon, it would reach my heart.

Then I would be dead.

* * *

Yukio's POV:

I trudged along with Rin, Nat and Bon, my eyes not able to meet Nat's. How could she forgive me, when I was willing to shoot her? Of course she would. Of course she would. She's Nat; she's Natsuki Hatome, the shy and timid and weird and overprotective and overly selfless girl that had a broken past. Of course that Nat would do that. The light dimmed, but shined even brighter upon us as we got closer, pain searing through the left side of my head.

"Close your eyes!" Rin shouted, and grabbed onto my hand, his eyes squinted shut. "Nat! Where's Nat?!" He bellowed, searching with his hands. We could hear a faint sound muffled, and so we turned to the source, stretching our free hands out.

"Calm down! I have her, she's with me." Bon's voice rang through, causing us to sigh in relief, stopping. "Anyways, why're you worrying so much? I've got her, she's with me." He grumbles, the girl close to him, cradled against his chest. "I'll carry her." He states with a finality in his voice, picking the brunette up with a soft grunt. Squeaking, Nat only huffed, looking at us pleadingly. Rin immediately took her from his arms, dusting her off.

"Jeez, you startle her right after she comes outta Gehenna!" Rin snorted, holding her close to him. Nat seemed to have a slightly happy, but also some deep grief at the mention of the name of the Demon world. "She's ours, you have to prove your worth of deflowering our pure baby girl!" Rin shouts, then holds her even closer as she yelps and starts to squeal, trying to get out of his grip.

"Get your head out of- Shiemi!" She cries out, stumbling to the girl who was laying on her side. Rin seemed even more worried, his expression serious and his eyes wide.

"Shiemi! Shiemi, wake up!" He cried, shaking the unconscious girl's shoulders. She didn't move; her head lolled around as she held her arm. Nat started to sob, golden light coming from her hands as she started to wrap vines around her arm to her shoulder, ripping off the sleeve.

"Shi-chan...Shi-chan, dai-jou-bu...I-I'm here to help…" She stuttered, her eyes tearing up all over again as Nee only started to fade. "Nee-chan, no!" She cried, reaching out for the familiar. "S-Shi-chan…" She whimpered, her fingers trembling as she concentrated, the vines breaking and showing healed skin. Nat bandaged it quickly, pressing her ear against the blonde's chest, then letting out a soft, utterly broken wail.

The girl was dead.

_Shiemi was dead._

And they were going to pay.

* * *

Rin's POV:

Shiemi. Shiemi. _Shiemi._ That was the only thing running through my head then. She laid there. Dead. Not breathing. Something hurt her. He hurt her. My claws started to grow, as I thought about how he hurt her. "He hurt her...he hurt Nat… Hoshimi… now Shiemi...not them...anyone but them… they're my nakama...my friends…"

I felt myself start to grow angrier and angrier, my ears pointing and growing, my teeth bared and my tail lashing out. I roared as I slammed the ground with a fist, and I heard the yelp of Nat as she covered everyone with a barrier of earth, Bon holding Shiemi against his arm. I let out a scream, my mind growing wild as I thought about the person who hurt Shiemi.

"Yamete, Rin!" I heard Nat call, holding the sword in her hand. _My own sister...Onee-chan…she would hurt me, she-_ "Look, Onii-san!" She then yells, holding the sword and throwing it away from her. "See?! I won't hurt you. _Never,_ Onii-san!" She stepped forward, now starting to venture towards me; she stepped in spots of my eyesight, and did this very slowly so she wouldn't startle me. This girl knew her stuff.

"What do you mean?! Everyone's hurt me! Everyone's ignored me, and not loved me! She- she loved me! Now she's gone! I have nothing-"

"_Yes, you do!_" She sobbed out, now gripping my shoulders. Tears slid down her grime-covered cheeks, and she looked up at me. "_I love you, Rin!_ I love you so much it hurts! I've grown up with you, seen your happiness, your tears, your fights, your blood! How can I not love you! I love you, and Yukio, and Hoshimi, and-and Shi-chan...I love minna! And it won't be without her! I...I know the pain of losing someone. I know the pain of losing your family, your nakama."

"I know that sick feeling in your gut that's called guilt. I know the slither up your spine that's anger. And I know the stabs of a knife in your heart that is sadness. But we all learn to overcome it, Rin! That's how we smile everyday-that's how we keep living! That's how we love, Onii-san! I've learned to love everyone here, even if-" She stops, tears are running down her cheeks too much for her to speak too clearly.

She gulped down another sob, and continued. "I-I know it hurts right here." She whispered, pointing to my chest, then clutching her heart. "_I know it does._ It hurts so bad that it's unrepairable if someone were to try and fix it. I know your pain, Rin! So-so let me bear the pain with you-as your friend-as your sister!" She cried, pulling me by my shoulders into her embrace as she let out her tears into mine. My eyes widened, the me in my mind starting to pull away from the demon that was a part of my father.

"N-Nat… Onee-chan…" I whisper, my eyes starting to tear up as I let out a harsh wail, my heart breaking into pieces as I clutched onto the girl in front of me as I realized the harsh truth- there would always be sin; death; tears; pain in our hearts; Satan would live in all of us. Satan would reign to live, and he would always conquer us if we let our fear and our pain overcome us.

"She'll be fine. She'll wake up." She whispered to herself and to me, as if she was trying to push away the fact that the girl named Shiemi- the girl I loved- was dead. "We can get her to a doctor, we can-" She stopped, and started to cough uncontrollably.

"Nat!" I heard Bon call out, but Yukio caught her as she fell to the side.

"Daijoubu, Onee-san." He whispered to her, picking her up. Her arm was blackening, falling limply to the ground. Haru whined, and started to limp. Yami had gone with the others; he was close to Hoshimi almost as he was to Nat-they lived together, the three-excluding Haru and the other familiars, of course- and so he wanted to protect his 'second owner', but also the girl he truly loved and cared for.

"S-Shiemi's arm is okay...right?" She whispered hoarsely, blood running from her lips. "Maybe..I can see Daichi soon...and my-my-"

"Don't say that, Onee-san!" Yukio cried, his voice cracking. "We love you here, please-don't leave us!" He held her tighter to him, and started to cry. It seemed like he was finally breaking after so much emotional breakdowns. "I don't want Hoshimi, or Shiemi, or even-even Daichi- to be gone! I want them all to be here, so we can all just be happy! I want to just be able to make sure that you're all safe, that you're happy!" He holds her tighter, and Nat only gives a bloody smile.

"Like-like a dad?" She whispered, and chuckled. "And Koyalee would be the mum. I can see that." She smiled cheekily, though it only made her cough harder.

"W-what?! Chigau! I-I mean- nevermind! Suguro! Let's go to the medics, we need to get them healed quickly!" Yukio tried to ignore Nat's comment, and started to run towards the edge of the city, Bon trailing behind him.

I smiled faintly, but then looked ahead to the light that burned through everything it touched. I smirked lightly, cracking my knuckles as I unsheathed my sword.

"Now it's my turn to kick some ass."


	37. Bitter Feelings, and a Savior

Koko's POV:

"C'mon Hoshi…Hoshimi c'mon…" I whisper to the girl, my flames for hair burning behind Konkemaru and I as we sprinted to the tent that had medics bustling in and out of the tent, some holding corpses and others bringing in patients. I shoved through to the tent, my patience on its whim so I could make sure Hoshimi was alright.

"Who is this?!" A teacher asks, and I just shove her into her arms. Konkemaru answers for her, and he looks at her with a determined gaze.

"She is Hoshimi Mai, 14 years old, white blonde hair to her waist with blue eyes, weighs about 132 pounds, etto…" He stopped, then looked back at her. "She's in your Taming class!" He smiles half-heartedly. "Please, she needs help!" He looks at the woman imploringly, and hefts her up with his hands, one holding hers and her tail tightly. "Her familiar- Hono- isn't here right now, she's too weak to summon him at the moment! Onegaishimasu!" He bows, clasping his hands together. The teacher nods, a faint smile on her face.

"I see you care deeply for this girl. I hope that me healing her will be a good choice." The woman stated, her light strands covering her brown eyes. Sitting down, she laid Hoshimi on her back and started to treat her completely.

After about 15 minutes, her eyelids flutter open, causing me to smile and gasp in relief, and Konkemaru to hug her tightly as she sat up. Yami licked her cheek, pawing her down so he could lick her hairline and face-like he was grooming her, pretty much. She yelped in protest, her tail now wrapped under her shirt around her torso, thanks to me and the still blushing Konkemaru.

"H-Hoshimi-chan, I-I thought you-" He's cut off by Hoshimi's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and so he responds by hugging her back just as tightly.

"Thanks you guys, for giving me the strength to move forward." She whispered, and smiled faintly at us. Konkemaru held out a hand to her, and so she stood up shakily, using him as a support, her white-blonde silks battered and tangled. "Koko...thanks...w-wait, where's-"

"Nee-san! Koyalee!" Yukio's voice ripped us from our reunion, and so I turned, my face brightening up, despite the grime, dirt, and soot decorating my cheeks and forehead. "Oh Kami, I thought-" He stopped and set the motionless figure of Nat down, though she was breathing faintly and her chest was pushing up and down. Hoshimi smiled with happy tears, and reached out her fingers to go through her sister's.

"O-Onee-chan…" She whispered, and smiled with joy, her tears of cheerfulness spilling down her cheeks as Nat's fingers weakly threaded into her own.

I ran towards Yukio, hugging him tightly and waddling in a circle while hugging him, not wanting to let go. My head was nestled into his Adam's Apple, and I let my nose twitch as I smelled aftershave and cologne on him. My cheeks flushed as we didn't let go for a few minutes, just standing there and holding each other tight. I pushed him away quickly, and looked the other way.

"I-It wasn't like I was worried or-"

"I'm glad you're okay, Koyalee." He stated softly, gently placing a hand on my head. My eyes widened, and happy tears filled my eyes. This has been the first time...someone's ever said that… I hug him again, stifling a soft sob as I clench my fists in the back of his shirt.

"Yeah, well I'm gonna kick some ass on the battlefield, so don't be a baka and die on me, okay?!" I command, and grip his shoulders. "Alright?!" I yelp, my cheeks flushing as red as my hair.

"Alright, Koyalee. Please be safe." He pleaded, and kissed the top of my head. My eyes widened, and I looked at the boy surprised as he started towards Nat's side. _Y-yukio-kun...k-kissed...me…_ I smiled goofily, then remembered that there was a war going on and started to run towards the source of the light-to fight alongside my comrades; to protect my comrades-my nakama.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I was now panting at the source of the light; Lucifer and his weapon. "Lucifer." I growled out, my anger barely able to be put into words.

"I'm sad, really. To see my father's favorite son have to be slaughtered by my hand. Poor me." He drawled, yawning lightly and covering his mouth, though when his hands went up to the air, rays of light emanated from his hands to the rest of the city; screams were heard all over, and buildings collapsed at the immense heat.

"Stop it!" I yell out, and slash the light in front of me with my sword. "That won't happen, 'cause I won't be taken down so easily!" I roar, my sword gleaming as the light rained over me. "I'll take ya down, and I'll protect this city- my friends!" I bellow, pounding my chest with my free hand. "Not Yukio; not Angel; not-not Nat!" I feel my feelings lump up in my heart, and they weren't positive ones, either. I don't even know why, they just started to grow. Yukio and Nat were running ahead; and I couldn't catch up to them. They kept on running, and running, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up to them. They were too far ahead for me to grab their hands, or to have them wait for me. I wanted to be good enough for them; good enough for myself.

"Aw. Are your family problems starting again?" He purred, and twirled his finger with a lock of hair. I growled, and sliced through his hair, having it fall to the ground.

"Don't you dare insult my family!" I protest, and punch him as he starts to come closer to me. I parried on like that; dodging and punching and slashing- until he managed to cut off the flames of my tail. I whimpered in pain, falling down to my side in pain.

"Not so strong now, huh?" I didn't answer, only causing him to laugh harder. Maybe...Maybe I can join Shiemi...be with her again. I think sullenly, my eyes closing. He howled with laughter, and was about to strike for the kill as I laid there vulnerably, until a golden green and amber light twisted together with all different kinds of elements blazed through.

"Not my brother, you bastard!"

* * *

Rin's POV:

I looked up, opening my eyes to see two girls standing in front of me. One had a golden sword hefted on her shoulder, and the other had a classic steel one in her hand, held forward. "Koko…? Nat?" I whisper out, my voice hoarse and weak with the lack of oxygen.

"At your service." Koko grinned, showing her teeth as her fiery hair licked at the air around us. "Nat, you sure you're okay?" She asked the girl worried; the girl next to the flame haired girl leaned on her left side, her left arm limp and her knees trembling.

"I'll be fine. Just for now. Then, I'll get medic help." She murmured, shaking it off. She clutched her locket-well, lockets- and let a small smile slip on her lips. "I have to avenge my loved ones. This won't do any good, but knowing that I can make them proud can help me with my goal." She stated so softly, that her voice could only be heard by Koko and I.

I tried to smile, but grimaced, coughing up blood from my tail. It was now a stump without a flame, it pawing around, like it was searching for its missing part. I panted lightly, laying back. "Ready, Koyalee?" She asked, hefting her sword off her shoulder. Koyalee smirked, and looked back at the man who was on the ground, staggering back up.

"Born ready."

The last thing I saw were two warriors charging, and a light blazing so brightly that I let myself fall back, my eyes rolling back to my head as I fell unconscious.


	38. Team Formation L, and a Steady Heartbeat

Koko's POV:

"Koyalee, Team Formation L!" Nat calls, her earth exploding out of the ground as she fumed. Her eyes were golden, but flecks of green were still visible in her eyes; her green in her eyes represented her humanity. She still clung onto her humanity, even in a time where she didn't need it. I nod, and start to let my sword transform into its Shadow Form. I smirk lightly, and chuckle as it feeds off of the light.

"Ya chose the wrong opponent, Lucifer." I growl, and start to lift up my sword, twirling it with expertise. Nat held her sword over and clashed it with mine, shadows starting to twist and braid over the metal, transforming it into a sword of darkness and earth. "Team Formation L; Begin!" I charge, swerving to the right while she bolted to the left, crossing over my footsteps as she jumped up against the wall. I hopped up and flipped down, my feet stepping against Nat's hands as she hefted me into the air.

"The best way to block out a light-" I start, starting to spin with my sword in both hands, holding it so it would plunge down as I spiraled, closing my eyes and holding my breath to keep in the nausea that came in waves over me. Nat's vines and rocks weaved around me, it starting to form a bullet of earth and shadows.

"-Is to use fight it with darkness!" I yowl, and hear a shriek as Nat stabbed him in the base of his tail, making him fall to his back as I aimed for his heart, the darkness blasting through him and engulfing his light.

"Now!" Nat calls, and we cross swords, each protruding next to the other's hilt. "We may not be able to defeat you, but we may be able to delay you. We can put you back to sleep. To not harm anyone; to-to-to not-" I looked up at the girl, to see tears were running down her cheeks as she gripped her lockets that hung from her chain. "Have sweet dreams, King of the Light." She then just whispered, pulling out her sword briskly.

"Nat…" I start softly, pulling out my own and seeing the man start to disintegrate. I sheathed my sword, as did Nat, and I saw her fall forward. Catching her by her shoulders, I sighed lightly. "It's okay now. He won't hurt any-"

"Why couldn't I save her? Why couldn't I save anyone?" She blurts, her hands fumbling for something to hold onto, so I laced my fingers with hers, squeezing them. "Why couldn't I save Daichi, or-or Hoshimi, or Shiemi?!" She wails, her eyes tearing up as she lets out a bawl, her left hand falling to her side, its blackened state worsening by the minute.

"Just-just stay calm for-"

"Daichi!" She cried out, losing her grip on my hand and trying to reach out for the air beside me, towards my right and towards the demon king's body.

"Nat, stop it. It's-it's not real." I say quietly, trying to pull her back from Lucifer. I turned to look over to Rin, who was unconscious on the ground, his tail a stump that writhed around. I covered my mouth, and pulled Nat back, though she screamed, kicking as she tried to go back. "Stop this, Nat!" I cry, and jerk her, hearing her hit the ground as she falls down. I look at her, seeing her surprised and scared face as she realized that I had shoved her to the ground. I bit my lip, and looked away, now horrified, scared that I could've hurt her.

"B-but...D-daichi was-"

"She's not real, Nat!" I close my eyes, and help her up, clenching my fists. "I'm sorry. Really. I-" I let out a soft sigh, and rub my head. "Let's just get you back, ne?" I suggest, helping her put her arm over my shoulder. She nods, and starts to help up Rin. He nods a little, seeming slightly in his conscious as he clutched onto his sister, his head buried in her shoulder and his flames of his tail in his hand.

"A-alright." She whispers, wrapping an arm around me and an arm around her brother. Then, with weary and mature faces, we started the journey back to the medic tent.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I held Rin close to me, and looked over to Bon, who sat next to Shiemi's bed in the infirmary. "R-Ryuuji…" I started weakly, giving Rin to the arms of a doctor reluctantly, and fell into his arms. "Ryuuji, I…" I blush a lot, and I look up at him. "I-I um...w-well, I-" I close my eyes, and just bury my head into his shirt.

"Nat, just-just stay here." He mumbles, and pulls me closer to him as he buries his head in my hair. "Kami, I just-just want it to be normal again." He mumbled, and I only nodded numbly, images running through my mind of what 'normal' would be. Bon would be paying close attention to the board, while Shima gaped at Izumo. Konkemaru would play with Haru and Kuro with his cat toys, and Izumo would be quiet and paying attention to the board, though causing trouble when she thought something was stupid. Rin would be trying his best to stay awake, but he would always fall asleep. Shiemi- oh, Kami- Shiemi would-

"Will it be normal again?" I ask quietly, watching the patients flow in and out of the tents. With a bandaged arm, I wiped my teary eyes and grime smudged face against the gauze.

"It will be. I promise." He whispered, pressing his lips awkwardly over my head. I nod, and wipe my tears away before looking over at the body of the girl that was known as our friend Shiemi.

"Okay." I whimper, my ear pressed against his chest. _His heartbeat-it's steady, like a drum. Unwavering. Even in times of distress or when it would race, or if it would slow when he's relaxed, but no- it's steady and strong. Ryuuji, you're strong, huh? _I think, and close my eyes, focusing on the rhythm of Bon's heart.


	39. A Funeral, a Revival, and a Price (Pt1)

A Week Later- Nat's POV:

Today was the day that I dreaded the most. Today was Shiemi's funeral.

"Here lies the brave woman who saved countless people, but only lost her life in Moriyama. 1998-2014. " The gravestone read. I sat numbly in the front row, in a stupor and a sea of denial. Shiemi wasn't dead. She couldn't be. She wasn't. I held the hand of Rin gently, offering him a soft smile.

"Don't- Don't worry, Rin. It'll-" I stop, and then just look down when he only looks at me with tired, puffy red eyes. He wore a black tuxedo, though his tie was messy. I tried to smile, tears coming to my eyes again. Shiro always did his tie. I felt someone nudge me, and so I turn to see Shiemi's mother, who was still sobbing.

"S-she-she would've wanted-you to spe-" She couldn't finish the sentence without hiccuping a sob, and burst into tears again. I only smiled faintly, quickly getting up and walking to the front of the audience that was seated.

"U-uh...um...hello. I- I don't want to believe this. It- it can't be…" I whisper, then close my eyes, looking back to the people who sat there. "Shiemi...Shiemi was-is- a strong, loyal person. She-she bloomed from the shy and timid girl who didn't want to become an exorcist- to-" I clench my fists, the rain pelting down on my hair as I ran a hand through my hair. "She bloomed like a flower. No pun or reference intended." I hear a few chuckles, and so I just sigh.

"Shiemi grew into a woman who knew-knows- that there are some things she can't save. There are some things she can't heal. But yet- but yet-" I see her black arm in my mind, and clutch my bandaged arm. "But yet, she still tried! She still tried to keep them on that string of life, to keep them from going over the edge. She gave us courage, and she-she taught me many things."

"She was able to ignore the people that criticized her; the people who put their words on a plate like nails and shove them down her throat. She was able to forgive the backstabbers who plunged a knife into that huge part of her brain that consisted of trust. She was able to believe in herself, and stand up for herself when people thought of her as wrong! She was strong. She strived on, when people crushed her huge heart, and pushed her aside. She hurted a lot right here!"

I pound my chest, and feel tears start to trail down my cheeks. "But she still could put that sweet smile on her face, and say 'I'm okay'. I admired her. And- and I'll do anything, anything-" I choke down a sob, and then feel a warm light start to envelope the girl. Nani...this is-this is Gaea's light. It wasn't by me. Who was it by? What's happening to Shiemi? I stared at Shiemi, starting to step towards the coffin, but then stopping. She started to rise into a sitting position, her emerald orbs filled with happiness as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"I can't believe-that you all would really cry for me…" She whispered, and sniffled.

"Shi-chan...Shi-chan!" I let out a cry, wiping my eyes and start to run to her, hugging her tightly and nuzzling her hair, holding her tight. "Never! Never again you baka!" I cry out, and hug her even more in a death grip, snuffling into her shoulder. As I shuffle away from the girl, I look up to see Rin grab the girl's cheeks, smashing his lips over hers.

"I love you so much, Shiemi. Please never leave me again." He whispers to her, and holds her close to him. She blushes, and giggles slightly before kissing him again.

"I love you too, Rin. I won't. I won't leave any of you." She smiles faintly, and hugs her mother, who was crying harder into her daughter's hair. I smile, but then I feel a pain in my chest, as if something had ripped me from my core. Staggering forward, I cough up blood as my birthmarks burn into my skin even more. I quickly start towards the train station, but couldn't make it until the exit before toppling over.

"Nat!" Hoshimi cried, catching me by my shoulders as I fell forward. Bon ran towards me, his eyes worried and his eyebrows furrowed together. "Nat, speak to me! Nat!" She cried, shaking my shoulders as I stared blankly at the ground, tears filling my eyes.

_You said anything, Natsuki. _A familiar voice stated firmly. _The animal would've been the best sacrifice, anyways. She was already weak; she was already on death's door. _A voice said clearly in my mind. I shivered, and shook my head, starting to breath heavily. _No. No. Chigau! This can't be-it-it can't be…_ I was jerked from my thoughts when she slapped my cheeks, motioning to Koyalee, who came running over.

"What happened?!" She shrieked, Yukio by her side. Yukio's eyes widened, and he knelt on my other side.

"L-leave. Lo-lita." I stutter, my eyes wide and my figure shaking. I look up, and see my familiars.

"Master! Master, something's-" Haru started, her eyes wide and worried. "Lolita. She's sick. Really sick. But-but I don't feel right. Something's off." Haru gasped out, breathing heavily. Hoshimi's eyes widen; Hoshimi was Lolita's rider. She had bonded with that horse, since it had been almost a year since they were together. Lolita was my father's companion. She was like a father to me.

"I know. Go. Let's go." I mumble. "Stay here. Take care of my familiars for me." I whisper, and grab Hoshimi's hand, starting to concentrate. With a gold and green light, Hoshimi and I journeyed back to my home; back to my family.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I waited with the rest of the group, hugging Shiemi tightly as she sat on the couch. She leaned into my shoulder, and looked worriedly at the door. "When're they gonna come back…" I whimper, and sigh lightly. The room was quiet; it was like I was voicing the whole group in this. Bon was pacing across the dorm, his fists in his hair.

"Goddamnit...just when things were gonna get better, something happens again… our luck's so fucked up…" He grumbled, thinking to himself. "Haru, what was it? What happened to Lolita?" He then asked the snow leopard cub frantically, now worried. Haru only shook her head, her eyes tearing up.

"When I was at the stables, Lolita was- looking worse. She just had a foal, so she's weak. And-and then something came- a golden light, and then she collapsed on the stables. Lolita's her father's companion, she's- she's so important to her." She whispered, her paw rubbing her snout and head. I nod, and sigh lightly.

"Wasn't that the same color light that revived Shiemi? Nat said she would do anything to get Shiemi back...but this wasn't her doing…" Yukio started, his brows furrowing together as he thought about the possibilities.

"All we have to do is wait for the best, right?" I start hopefully, letting out a soft sigh. We all nodded in agreement, and so I sighed, leaning back into the couch, waiting for the two girls again.


	40. A Price (Pt 2), and Haruki Hatome

Hoshimi's POV:

"Nat. Nat! What do we do?!" I protest, gasping for breath as we arrived. I coughed, feeling something make my nose twitch and the hairs on my neck to go up. "Nat, something's wrong. Get down!" I call, and shove her down, chanting as a shield of fire comes up, flowing from my hands as wings of a phoenix. I felt something get shoved into my face, and I look down to see Nat's scarf balled up. She holds her hand to her mouth, and coughs.

"It's smoke. Don't inhale. I'll go in first; I know the ways better. Get to a clear area, Hoshimi. Get help!" She calls, her voice cracking as I see tears sting stubbornly through her eyes, down to her cheeks. I nod, then hear yowls and mews for help. I only shake my head, and start to run towards the house, which was the source of the fire. When I looked over to her, she was staring with something-something scary in her eyes. In the water, there were pebbles that made words that I couldn't see. But, one thing I did know was that Nat was very upset.

"Nat, it's the house! The house!" I scream, seeing boards falling down. I rush in, and see animals huddled in corners. Picking them up, I ran back out before getting trampled by some who were storming out of the house, trying to find a safe exit. I cried out, shielding my eyes as the lack of oxygen made my eyes water and my white tufts of hair to darken with soot and burns.

"Hoshimi! Get out of there! It's gonna collapse, all of the animals are out!" I hear her voice screech through the house, and so I start to run, but feel pain shear through my ankle as I stagger back. "Hoshimi!" She cries, and wraps my arm around her shoulder, and starts to run out of the burning building. Coughing, we stumbled blindly out of the fire, breathing heavily. Nat started to call for a familiar with water, and soon, the fire was tamed. All that was left of the house, though, was sizzling boards and crumbling bricks that started to cave in.

"Nat, we need-" I grip my ankle, then bite my lip worried. "Lolita. We need-to get to Lolita." I whimper, and start to get my wound checked by the same familiar, who gives it a soft bite to fill it with a bone-mending venom. I thank the snake, and start to limp towards the stables.

* * *

Hoshimi's POV:

"Lolita! Lolita, hang in there!" I cry, trying to use my healing to revive the horse. "Lolita!" I wail, my eyes filling with new tears. I stroked her mane, and started to sob into it, holding her secure back. Images flashed into my mind as I remembered what we did, and so I started to cry harder, the cool metal of her shoe grazing against my dress. "Lolita...why...you didn't do anything! Why did you leave us?!" I yell, and start to pound the hay, crying harder.

Looking over at the girl next to me, I gripped her shirt, starting to shake her. "Why won't you do anything?! Why won't you save her?!" I yell at her, my eyes flowing with tears. She didn't answer, but her reply was a faint, 'I'm sorry', before she stood up, wiping her eyes with her arm before quickly walking out. I then stopped, my lips turning down in a quivering frown full of guilt and grief.

Who was I to sob over the animal, when she was the one who had known it all of her life? She's probably going through everything imaginable in her mind, yet she won't say anything. I stroked Lolita's fur, and kissed her head, holding her head across my legs, holding it close to me as I wept. "Lolita...I miss you…" I whisper, then gasp, seeing her frame start to crumble into soil. As it does so, a sapling sprouts from her body, and I see a parade of gold and green light. I look up in awe, seeing the same horse start to trot and prance to a man with dark hair and soft, light green eyes as he pets her snout. She whinnies, and nods over to me, galloping back to me as she nuzzles my cheek. The man follows, and smiles faintly.

"I am Haruki Hatome, Natsuki's father. Is she coping well with her surroundings?" He asks tenderly, sitting down with me. Lolita snorted, her spirit form prancing around in circles in the stall, laying down and wanting to be petted. I giggled, then looked at the man as I stroked the mare's fur.

"Isn't it a little-ah-late to be saying this now?" I ask, cocking my head to the side. He only tries to smile, and laughs faintly.

"It is, I know. I could only come when Lolita joined me, to arrive and receive her. Also, you will need to plant that. It's an apple tree. She loved apples." He chuckled. I nodded, laughing a little more.

"She did. When I used to hide them behind my back, she used to bite my hair too as she tried to get the apple." I smile faintly, and stretch lightly. "Why didn't her mother ever come? I've never seen her mother, and I know that all of the animals were alive since she was here." I muse, then see his frown and stop. "Was that-"

"N-no! No. It's alright." He gives a small, weary smile. "It was the day of the incident. Because Mizuki-Natsuki's mother- lost her life, her animal-the Jaguar- became so feral and protective of Nat that it gave his dying breath for the girl. I-I was already-" He stops, and bites his lip. I nod, and smile faintly.

"At least you tried to protect them. Knowing that at least someone is alive counts." I state softly, then chuckle lightly. "If she weren't alive, I wouldn't be here. I'd be roaming somewhere, hiding from Exorcists and running away from everything. Maybe-just maybe- I would meet Konkemaru, but it wouldn't be the same. Nat touched my heart." I stop, and then try to smile. I see the man start to fade, and so I frown. He nods, and smiles faintly, helping up the horse.

"Thank you for telling me this. I'm glad that Shiro was-able to-" He started to flicker, and then just waved, disappearing with the horse. I sniffled, and then heard someone knock on the stall door.

"Can I come in?" Nat asked shyly, slowly climbing in after I motion for her to sit. A foal followed her, a black color that was already lightening.

"This isn't my room, y'know." I tease, and try to smile. "I-uh-ran into someone." I state awkwardly, and try to smile at her. She only nods, and smiles slightly, her lips giving a faint quirk before tilting down. She stroked the foal's head, and looked back at me.

"Thanks. For-for coming with, and-and to help her. He-I'm going to name him Daiki." She says softly, nuzzling the foal's chin with her finger. "Hoshimi, I-I really just…" She just slowly sunk into my shoulder, setting her head down on it and curling into a ball after letting the foal drift off into sleep. I only smiled, and wrapped my arms around her.

"Oh dear." I tease, and smile faintly. "It's okay, Onee-chan." I whisper, and smile faintly. "Just tell me when you need to-" I stop, seeing she had started to snore lightly, her features softer and her rosy cheeks puffing up just the slightest as she let in soft breathes. I only try to smile, and pull the foal closer before closing my eyes, letting the exhaustion and sleepiness take over me. But before my eyes closed, I felt cold, golden eyes locked on our frames. Who...is that? I start to try and look closer, but the exhaustion from the fire took over, pulling me back into sleep.


	41. A Visitor, and Rebuilding

Rin's POV:

I sat next to Shiemi, my arm around her as we waited for the class to start. With my head on her shoulder, I let out a soft sigh. "Shiemi, when do you think they'll come back?" I observe, my eyes half-closed as I breath in the flowery scent of the girl next to me. Shiemi sighed, shrugging as she shook her head.

"I don't know, Rin. Do you think we should visit them after school?" She suggests, turning her head to look over to me. I nod, my stomach twisting as I thought of how much of an idiot the two of them could be. "Alright, how about we pack a bag for an overnight trip? We could come back by tomorrow night." She mused, leaning her cheek against my head with a soft smile and giggle. I nod, my hand linked with hers as I play with her fingers.

"Thanks, Shiemi." I grin, and kiss her cheek gently, nuzzling it, making her giggle and squirm. "I mean, they can be a couple of bakas when someone's not watchin' them. They might forget to eat breakfast, or to button their shirt right, or-"

"Rin, you sound like such a mom!" Koko smirks, popping her head down from the seat behind us. "Ha, so that's how you can cook so well!" She grins and laughs good-heartedly. I stick out my tongue at her, and chuckle.

"Uruse, future sister-in-law!" I pout, and smile widely when she starts to blush a lot, her mouth trying to tug down a smile. "Ha! Doikderu~" I purr, prodding the girl. "You like my brother~" I tease, and giggle. Shiemi starts to smile and giggle, amused and happy.

"I'm glad I couldn't miss this." She murmurs, and so I smile, kissing her nose.

"So am I." I grin, and kiss her forehead, then turning to the board as Yukio walked in.

* * *

Nat's POV:

"Hoshimi. Hoshimi, wake up." I whisper, gently poking the younger girl's cheek.

"No...just-just give me a Konkemaru." She murmurs, reaching out with her fingers. Drool was dripping from the corner of her lip, her smile giddy and like a baka. I stifle a giggle, and then squeeze her fingers, encasing them in mine.

"I will when we get back, ne? Right now you have to get up." I sooth her, seeing a pout on her lips. "C'mon, let's get up." I hoisted the girl up from the futon, and try to smile. The events that occurred the day before were fresh in my mind, like ink that was just pressed on a piece of paper.

Egyn and his forces had sent a warning; 'Fear. Our. Wrath.' It was probably pay back from putting down his brother. I would understand that. But to the animals-the animals who had nothing to do with it? That was unforgivable.

"Mm, Onee-chan...are we in the stables? Where-where are we?" The whitette sputtered, rubbing her hair.

"We're in the house. It has underground areas too. That's where all the possessions of ours are. Even so, it only takes a few days to rebuild the house. All of the animals help do it, because it's not only our home; it's their home too." I state gently, remembering when Shiro and everyone else had rebuilt the house.

* * *

Flashback- 14 Years Ago- Nat's POV:

"You don't have to do this." I mumble, and look to the side as I rub my arm. Shiro had a hat on his head that made him look hilariously ridiculous, and so Rin and Yukio went with it and wore the same hats, along with the workers of the church.

"We wanna do this, Onee-chan!" Rin grinned his cheeky smile as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, Yukio on my other side. "Just roll with it!" He smiled, patting a helmet down on my own head, making me yelp and unbelievingly giggle. Rin gasped, then smiled even wider, rubbing his cheek against my own, the two hats clashing together.

"So kawaii~" The brothers praised, patting my head and pulling me by the hands to Shiro. "Onee-chan, where should we start?" Yukio asked curiously, a soft smile on his cheeks. "Great question, Yukio!" Rin smiled, patting the helmet on his brother's head.

"Well, we can start with the wall posts!" Shiro cheered, and chuckled softly as he led the boys to the corner of what used to be the living room, grinning as he held the post while the two boys hammered the nails in, the animals slathering the paste on the connecting wood. After a few moments, the paste hardened to stone, causing the two Okumura twins to stare at the post, aghasted.

"Sugoi!" Rin cheered, while Yukio huddled closer, observing it. I smiled faintly, holding the post as the vines of earth wrapped around it, making it sturdy as it connected with the other waiting posts. It started to grow with the paste, until the house's frame was anew.

"Wow." Yukio whispered, wiping some sweat from his brow with a smile. "It's awesome" He concluded, and smiled shakily as Rin slapped the back of his neck.

"Damn right, Yuk-ite!" Rin whimpered, holding his head as Shiro bonked him with a bible.

"No cursing, you imbecile!" He scolded, and chuckled as Rin only nodded, a pout playing his expression. "Good. Now, let's go get some ramen!" I stifled a soft giggle, covering my mouth with my hands so they couldn't see nor hear it. They turned to me, and so I flushed a deep scarlet, huffing as I turned the other way. Seeing the animals trot into the house, I nodded, smiling faintly.

"Yes. Let's do so." I say softly, following the three boys to the train station.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I wiped sweat from my forehead, and patted the wolf's head beside me. "Thank you for the help. I-we'll be going soon." I say softly, looking back to where the gateway of trees greeted the visitor-new or old- as he or she would go through to our home. "You did great. Get some rest." I sooth, and stroke her ruff as I stand up, looking over to Hoshimi.

"Can I-can we go to the stables?" She asks softly, her expression nonchalant, but the tone she said these words put a silent edge to them. Lolita was one of the things she held dear to her. Lolita was like her best friend; other than I and her familiar. I only nod, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Of course. Lead the way." I announce, smiling as she leads me back to the stables. As we walked in, there was banging on the doors of the stalls as a welcome, the foal prancing around in his stall. I try to smile, and kiss his head before stroking his fur, knowing that he would still be weak. Feeding him his milk, I looked over to Hoshimi, seeing that she was just staring at the foal. "Onee-san?" I ask gently, only to see her smile sweetly at me, her cheeks lightly tinted as she knelt down to the foal. When the foal saw her, he pounced on her, licking her face and cheeks, nipping her gently with his lips.

"Hi Daiki...I guess I smell familiar." She whispered to him, holding him close and giggling as he played with her. I smiled faintly, hearing the knock of a door. "Who's that? A visitor?" She mused, looking out the door, much to the foal's protest. With a nip of her hair, he made a weak whinnying sound of annoyance. She obeyed him, leaning back inside the stall. I shrug, and start to get up, dusting the hay off my knees.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" A woman's voice said softly, a collection of tentative knocks on the metal door. I frown a little, and start to climb out from the sanctuary of hay.

"Hai! I'll be out in just a second!" I call back, and start to close the stall door so Daiki didn't go out, and turn to see a woman with dark hair to the floor, and golden eyes. She looked around my mother's age, probably a little older. My eyes widened, and so I stumbled back, blinking a few times to make sure this was real.

"Is your name Natsuki Hatome?" She commands, her arms crossed over what looked like a robe of earth and vines. I nod, my hand on my sword hilt.

"Hai. I am Natsuki Hatome." I respond quietly, my eyes cast down to the ground. "May I ask who you are?" I ask softly, my cheeks burning from embarrassment.

"My name is...Akiko. I am but a traveller, hearing of your tales with your nakamas. I need a place to stay for the night, and your home looked very safe and hospitable. Is it alright if I stay here for the night?" She asked with a soft voice, an enchanting tune of a voice blended with emotion.

"It's fine, you can stay the night. May I ask why you know my name?" I ask slowly, leaning against the stall door. She only shrugged, a mysterious smile on her lips.

"I am just...a friend. A friend, yet a stranger. A traveller who has lost her way and has found herself here." She sang with her head cocked to the side. I blink a few times, and nod.

"Alright. Come in, I'll get something to eat ready." I respond with a smile, starting to jog towards the house.


	42. A Phone Call, and the Truth (Pt1)

Hoshimi's POV:

I saw Nat in the hallway, looking conflicted. I started towards her with the hamper full of dirty clothes, then frowned. "Onee-chan?" I start softly, seeing her eyes were teary. I look at the girl, and set the hamper down, gently catching her by her shoulders. "Oi, Onee-chan. What's wrong?" I ask, lifting up her chin. Looking at me, she sniffled before smiling.

"I-I think I'm ready." When I give her a puzzled look, she only smiles with quivering lips. "Can I get Ryuuji on the phone?" She asks softly, but then reaches for my hand when I frown, crossing my arms as I glare at something else. I couldn't be mad at Nat, though I was at the same time. It was really confusing. Nat was really confusing. Hell, I'm really confusing.

"Ready for what?" I ask befuddled, now curious but also conflicted. "Why not tell me?" I ask now, blocking her way. I felt anger and hurt spark a flame in my heart, and my lip trembled.

"Hoshimi, I don't-"

"No, you can tell me right?! I'm your Nee-chan, right?!" I feel angered tears prick my eyes as I clench my fists, thrusting them on my hips. "Why do you need Bon for this? Why don't you need me?!" I then feel my gut twist, and I look at her, my eyes hurt even more. "Why-why don't you need me?" I say.

"Hoshimi-" She couldn't find her words, and so I only nodded, smiling bitterly.

"No, no one would need a tiny 'little girl' like me, now would they?" I continue, the filter between my thoughts and lips disappeared into the abyss of my emotions. When I felt the irritated tears run down my cheeks, a hard thwack was heard. My face was tilted to the side, my right side of my face starting to swell up. Nat's hand was up, and her eyes widened as she quickly let it fall to her side.

"Don't you dare say that again." She said quietly, her other hand gripping my shoulder. "We need you. Konkemaru needs you. Rin needs you, Yukio needs you, Ryuuji needs you, Koyalee needs you, Izumo needs you, Shiemi needs you, I-I need you." She then set her hands on my shoulders, looking at me with loving, yet saddened eyes. I nod slowly, and sniffle, wiping my eyes and slowly rubbing my cheek. Even though there would be a bruise, it would last for-at the most- a few hours.

"Alright. I-I won't." I say softly, and close my eyes. She pats my shoulder again, picking up the basket and handing it to me. "Tell me when you're calling them, I'll get lunch-" With a surprised glance from the older girl, I only shrug. "I may not be much of a cook, but I think I got some skills from Onii-chan." I grin, and then smile as I think of which familiar to help me. With a sigh, she only nodded, starting towards our room to grab my phone.

Nat's POV:

I sat on the futon Hoshimi and I shared, Hoshimi kneeling next to me, looking confused yet curious. Her tail whipped around, some of the animals starting to bat at it, trying to see which one could catch it. Gnawing at my lip, I nervously pressed on the numbers, then pushed my finger against the green phone to the bottom right of the screen. I took a deep breath, and slowly cradled it between my ear and shoulder as I straightened up Hoshimi's kimono. "Geez," I murmur, then hear someone pick up the phone.

"Moshi moshi~" Shiemi's light voice shimmered through the phone, and so I smiled faintly, clearing my throat awkwardly. "Oh! Nat-chan!" I could see the smile on her face as she said this, and so I slowly started to smile, though it was nervous and bashful.

"H-hi. A-anno, is Ryuuji or Rin there?" I ask slowly, seeing a slight look of anger spark in the cerulean orbs that held Hoshimi's vision. "I need to tell Ryuuji something." I explain quickly, my cheeks flushing as she nods, a soft titter escaping her lips.

"Hai! I'll get them, hold on for a second please. Koko-chan, would you like to go on the phone to-" She didn't have to finish the sentence before another voice was heard, blaring from the other side of the line.

"Goddamnit, Nat, Hoshi-chan! You guys need to come back! Bon's freaking out with Konkemaru in a corner and-"

"Baka! Enough, enough!" I winced, quickly pulling the phone away from my ear. I could tell by the agitated tone and yelling that it was Bon. "Goddamn. Nat, what's up?" He asks, now holding the phone.

"Etto, I- Ryuuji, do you remember when you made that promise to me? When I made that promise to you?" I ask slowly, thinking of when he had cut his palm, even if it could've gotten infected and maybe even amputated.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" He asks, slightly amused. I only shake my head, my cheeks flushing.

"R-Ryuuji, I think I'm ready now."

* * *

Nat's POV:

After hearing the words slip from my lips, I bit on my bottom lip, now trembling slightly. Hoshimi wrapped an arm around me, and so I leaned into her slowly. "Is-is everyone there?" I then ask slowly, setting the phone on the table.

"Yeah, just-" Something clattered onto the ground on the other side, and a new voice was heard over the ruckus.

"Onee-chan!" Rin's voice brayed like a trumpet, and so I chuckled slightly, hugging my knees as I shifted into a sitting position. "Are you guys fed? Do you have any trouble with the house or with getting back? Oh Kami, don't tell me you got dropped off at the wrong station!" He groaned, and I giggled sheepishly, knowing either of those things could happen.

"Dame. Anyways, I-I think I'm going to tell minna now." I say with a quieter and more serious tone, and so he gets the message, quieting down and ushering everyone forward to hear. "L-Look, minna. T-this is pretty big to hear over the phone, so please listen, and if you-if you have any questions, just ask. Okay?" I say, taking in a soothing and encouraging breath.

"Alright. You can tell us when you're ready, Nat." I hear Koyalee's voice gently prodded me, but I shook my head.

"Dai-jou-bu. I'm fine telling you now. I won't be able to in person, because I'm a coward." I smile rancorously, and then cough lightly. "I guess I have to start from the beginning. When there was Satan, there was also Kami-sama. Between the two, there were gods like the Greek, or Hindu, or Japanese. One of the most powerful gods was the Goddess of the Earth; Gaea. Her alternative name-so to speak- was unknown. She had the last name of 'Hatome'. This meant-implying the name- that she was 'Great Earth'. When she started to create descendents like the other gods were, the other gods had forsaken an omen from the main god; who we call Kami. Supposedly, one of her descendents would bring true peace to our world Assiah, destroying Satan and our mirror world, Gehenna.

"Because of this, Gaea started a tradition that doomed her clan, the Hatomes."


	43. The Truth (Pt2), and 'Family Friend'

Rin's POV:

Hearing this story all over again made my eyes start to water, so I quickly wiped the upcoming tears away, frustrated that I was the one crying and not Nat. I looked down at the phone, biting my lip. Shiemi took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "G-Gomen." I mumble, now feeling awkward.

"What's wrong?" She asks tenderly, placing her other hand on top of mine. I shrug bashfully, looking down at our joined hands, then at Yukio, who was stroking Haru's fur absentmindedly. Haru was bristling, her eyes pained and angered as she glared incisively at the phone.

"Nothing. I've just-heard this before. She told us-well, we kinda figured it out- when we first met her." I say quietly, so no one could hear. Fortunately, no one did but on Nat's bad side, they were bombarding the poor girl with questions like missiles. Anyone would, the confusion received after explaining the whole concept was almost overpowering.

"Oh." Shiemi squeaked out, then pursed her lips into a straight line, trying to find something comforting to say. I only sigh, and look to Bon, who had his brow furrowed, his fingers trembling just the slightest. We leaned forward now, done with our conversation and ready to hear the next bit of what Nat had to say.

"So there are gods in this world…" Konkemaru pondered to himself, his two first fingers holding up his chin.

"Mhm. They are what some worship, but they listen and connect to these prayers. Of course, they are not as powerful as Satan or Kami. All over the world, the first people worshipped and dreamed of things and people, thus creating the gods that we know of. Gaea was always there, along with Kami and Satan. She was the Earth itself. Of course, she never was fully awake-" She was interrupted by another voice that sounded like Nat's, though it was older, more knowing and more old.

"If she was awake, the world would collapse and cave in on itself. Even if she could not feel emotion, or not be a human form, someone took a fascination into her. This man was the first Hatome, the first person to bear her scars and to watch her clan go into its inescapable doom."

"A-Akiko-san, how did you know about-" Nat's voice came into the background, causing some of us to cock our heads to the side with confusion. "G-Gomene! Someone is here, I forgot to introduce you! M-Minna, this is Akiko-san." I looked over to Haru, blinking as she jumped up from Yukio's grasp, flouncing to the phone and giving a mew of protest.

"This-this name is familiar! I know her, I know it! That voice- it can't be!" The cub whimpered and whined, circling multiple times with her tail in between her legs. When I was about to ask her what she meant, Nat's voice cut through our curiosity and Haru's confusion like a swift knife to an onion.

"A-Akiko-san, how do you know so much of the Hatomes? This information is only known by-"

"My dear, as I have said before; I am only a friend of the Hatomes. A very trusted one, you could say. Anyways, continue child." With a few shuffles to be heard, Nat's voice went back into the speaker.

"A-Alright. E-Etto...how should I start now…" She considered her choices, though either one would lead to the same result; a massacre. "Ah! I have one." Clearing her throat, she started the tale of her past again. "As more and more descendants came into the clan of the Hatomes and went through the ritual of becoming a Hatome, more and more people started to go straight to Gehenna."

After a few pregnant moments of an awkward silence, I could feel the heat waves of the flush of embarrassment on my sister's face. "G-Gomen! I started off wrong! Because of this omen, Gaea made a locket. It was the metal of the sword or bullet each Hatome carried. Filled in this locket was a soil that was from the world of Gehenna. If a child-about the age of 11 to 18- were to pass the test, they would have to choose whether they would go to what they were made for; to go to Gehenna and try to defeat Satan-or to continue their lives as an Exorcist or a family. As you can see, I did not-could not- choose where I would go." She took in a quivering breath, and I knew that she was going to the most hard part to say.

"N-Nat, you don't have to say-"

"Chigau!" Koyalee immediately stopped, then nodded slowly, slightly rocking herself as she listened to her command. "C-Chigau. I promised I would tell when I was ready." Nat said with a lower voice, and I could hear the whispers and squeeze of Hoshimi's hand in Nat's. I wished I could go into the phone and hug her tightly to me, and wipe the tears that would run down her face and to reassure her that it would be okay. But would it? Would it when all of your family is gone, when all of your friends are clueless of the circumstances you live in and the burden you have to weigh upon your shoulders?

"Anyways. Satan became enraged, easily slaughtering the people that tried to defeat him. He then was afraid, because what if someone did destroy him? What if someone could hold as much positive, pure thoughts-like Kami- and could completely obliterate him? He then looked for the one day that they would be all together. He then struck that day, the day that was supposed to be a beautiful day to me and to my family."

"Nat...what was that day?" Shiemi asked slowly, her hands squeezing mine tighter as she grew pale. After a pause, a whimper was heard and the muffle of tears.

"March 21st, 14 years ago. My third birthday."


	44. Train Tickets, and 'Another Visitor'

Bon's POV:

I looked down at the phone, at a loss for words. She went-she went through all of that, and still could smile so brightly. She saw so much blood-so much gore, yet she still shoved Omu rice in her face each day, bringing a sweet smile and a weird, rainbow-spitting 'I-ta-da-ki-masu!'. How? How could she be so scarred yet be so carefree, so happy? So-so loving, when she didn't have a family-no, wait. She did have a family. Rin. Yukio. Shiro. Haru, the animals, and so many more. They were all her family. Even if she lost her family by blood, she never lost the family of her home.

I get up, and run a hand through the bleached part of my hair. I remember one time, Nat had asked me why I had bleached some of my hair. I told her that I wanted to bridge myself from my family; that I wanted to show that I was different from my family-the family I distinctly said I hated. Seeing that sad little smile on her petite face, and then hearing her say with a calm, dangerously quiet voice, 'I'm sorry that you do. When the time comes, maybe that can change.' I didn't know she meant this.

"Yo, guys. I'm gonna go and...you know...just...go." I say quietly, pushing myself out from the chair and pulling on my shoes, trudging out of the dorm and to the train station. I have to make it up to her. Somehow, someway. I don't know what'll happen, but… I let out a soft breath, the summer rain humid and not exactly comforting.

"One ticket to...etto...what does it say here?" I squint my eyes, and blush from embarrassment as I slowly pull my reading glasses from its case and daintily place it on my nose. "Aha." I squint a little more, then smile with satisfaction. "'Eien no kibo no ji'. The land of eternal hope." I chuckle a little with bitterness on my tongue, thinking of the horrid pun that came with it. "One ticket to this place please." I say quickly, hearing the screech of the train clawing against the tracks. Taking the ticket in my hand, I shook off my soaked hair and jacket before hopping into the train as it started to chug towards the north; towards Nat.

* * *

Koyalee's POV:

I sat there, my eyes wide as I stared blankly at the phone, then letting out a yell and throwing it across the room. I felt my fingers trembling, along with my lips as I started to wail. I crawled to Yukio, my fingers hidden in fists as I started to pound on his chest, starting to cry. "Why? Why didn't she tell us earlier?" I protested, my fists stopped by Yukio's gentle hands as he pulled me into his chest, calming me by rubbing my back in soothing lines.

"Sh...sh…" He mumbled against my head, kissing my head smoothly and pulling me closer. "It's hard to say as it is. You're lucky to know this stuff now, because now you can comfort her. She didn't tell us until almost a month afterwards, when she went back to check on the animals." He said quietly, and then shook his head, just resting his forehead to mine and holding me close. I nod, though my cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. I closed my eyes, letting his thumbs stroke my cheeks to brush away my tears.

"Alright. Thank-Thank you." I sputter, and lean against him, feeling the slight sharpness of the glasses burrow in my brow, making me smile a little at its familiarity. Snuggling into him slightly, I let out a soft sigh. "Will she come back tomorrow?" I ask, looking up at the boy with confused yet yearning eyes. I missed her. I missed Nat.

With a nod, he pecks my lips lightly blushing, as if wanting to do that but cowering back at the last moment. "Yeah. I promise you she will. And if she doesn't, we'll-we'll bring True Cross to her." He smiles a little, and so I nod, my cheeks still heated like a radiator in my dorm.

"Okay." I nod, and smile a little happily as I let out a content sigh, leaving my head against his shoulder.

"Okay."

* * *

Nat's POV:

Sitting next to Hoshimi as I nibbled on the Omu Rice, I let out a soft sigh, dropping my utensils in frustration and awkwardness. "Are we just going to sit around the table and just not say anything or are we going to actually talk?" I asked, shifting so I was sitting with my legs tucked out. "I get that my past is screwed up, and I get that I shouldn't be acting the way I act now. I just-I just-" I couldn't say anything, so I only let out a weary sigh. "How's the Omu Rice?" I ask Hoshimi, picking up my chopsticks.

"It's good, not fresh from the pan Rin style good, but I'm flexible." She says with a clipped tone, looking down at her blue and silver kimono. I look to Akiko, who was wearing a golden vine, with amber, crimson, and drops of sunshine colored leaves dancing over her yukata. I shove a piece of flabby egg into my mouth angrily, casting a narrow glance to the wall in front of me.

"I suggest I tell you why I-" She was interrupted by Hoshimi, who had a scowl on her face.

"Goziamasu. I'm done." She says with a low growl, her look like a cornered animal's, daring either of us to object, to try and make her stay in this great heart-warming dinner we were having. Akiko only shrugged, starting to shovel egg, sauce and rice, along with veggies into her mouth. I nod slowly, feeling a little concerned but letting it go. She had been that way since Lolita had passed, but today seemed even more so down.

Getting up quickly, she plunks the plate in the sink, a look of satisfaction as I flinch ever so slightly. "I'll be in my room." she says, and retreats to the downstairs as the bell rings, along with fierce, demanding knocks on the door. I look out the window, seeing it was pouring out rain, lightning striking in vines of white. I quickly started to the door, Akiko still sitting-as if bored- at the table, now playing with a spoonful of rice, flinging it across her plate with a muffled sigh against her fist.

Opening the door, I look up to widen my eyes, them filling with unwelcomed tears.

"Hey. Can I use a coupon?"


	45. A Hug, A 'Monster', and 'Help'

Nat's POV:

Sniffling, I quickly pulled him into the front step of the house, his hair over his eyes and almost half of his face like a hood in one of those Zelda games Rin used to play as a child. I watch him, my eyes filling with even more tears as he slowly pulls his arms up and beckons me into them, as if knowing what I was thinking. I let out a soft cry, my feet slipping under me as I ran into his waiting arms, even if I were to get a cold along with the silly boy, even if a visitor-someone who didn't even know us- was watching us.

"Kami." I hear him playfully mumble against my hair, and I only start to cry harder, feeling myself loosen and let go on the ledge that kept me rooted to the crust of the earth that surrounded and protected the core- my heart. I start to bawl, my fingers clutching wildly at his shirt and curling into a ball of a fist as I nestled myself tightly against him; like I always did when he knew that I wasn't having a good day, and so he would just open up his arms for me.

"Kami, why do I love a baka like you." I whisper against his chest, my cheeks burning slightly as he kissed my head.

"I dunno what ya said, but we need ta get in the shower or we'll never hear the end of it from Rin and Koko." He said, lifting me easily off my feet by my waist, causing me to squirm and blush. I felt myself get set back down on the familiar feel of wood, my toes flexing in my wooly socks as I slip a little. He laughs slightly, amused that I had such weird, mostly mismatched socks.

"Ryuuji, I'll get you some clothes that are dry. Just go into the bath for now and I'll bring them." I say softly, blushing as I peck his chin lightly, quickly scampering away to the wardrobe room before he could say a word.

* * *

Hoshimi's POV:

I sat in my bed, staring down at my toes, that were starting to turn a light gray, almost like scales. A monster. I was a monster. "Monster, Baka Monster." I mumble to myself, flinging my head into my knees. "Monster. Baka monster. What would Konke-chan think? What would Izu-chan think? What would-what would _she_ think? I have to go. I can't hurt them-if that happens again, who knows-"

"Do you want to get rid of that?" A new voice silkily threaded its way into my mind, like a spider would cocoon its victim. Looking up from my knees, my eyes narrowed as I looked pointedly at Akiko, who was leaning against the door-frame.

"What're you doing here?" I scowl at her, quickly covering my toes with a blanket. She only shrugged, chuckling slightly; it seemed that she was amused-or maybe entertained of my behavior. "I don't need you. You're only a visitor, you have no right to butt into my business." I protest, and glare angrily at the chocolate-curled woman, who only laughed, the sound sickeningly sweet. Rolling my eyes, I turn on my side, only to hear her creep closer. "Go away you creep." I threat, only to sigh. "State your business, then get out. I wanna be alone-"

"I can see that. But if you want to know how to get rid of that-or should I say, if you don't want to be a monster, then I can help you."

"Help me how?" I ask slowly, an eyebrow raised as I played with the blue string that was a part of the belt that was wrapped around my waist.

"Help you to control your power. Your heritage and your flame. While it may be a useful weapon for you at the moment, overusing it and having such negative emotions so frequently can cause it to transform you negatively; into a monster. You wouldn't want Nat, or 'Konke-chan' to see that, would you?" She mused, checking her nail and running the tip of her index finger over the other hand's fingers.

Wearily sighing, I slowly sit up. "Yeah, but-but it's already started. I've been looking through every book in the library here and at True Cross. And nothing. I have to talk to Mephisto or Azazel, probably not Egyn, maybe Amaimon-"

"You can just come to me." Akiko's voice sliced into my thoughts, causing my train track of thought to swerve into the chasm of blankness.

"Why? You're no demon king, daughter of Satan or anything. You can't stop this." I argue, and flip a page through my journal, starting to scribble down the people or things I could look for.

"Maybe I might. But you are mine, and you know it." She stops, thinking for a moment, then laughing. "Not mine, but the heir of my clan." She said, and stretched as she slowly walked away, then stopping, pulling something from her yukata.

"No I'm not, I'm my own person!" I consider the statements she'd been spouting out like a tea pot spilling its liquid into cups.

"Hmph. That'll change. Read this; you'll understand then. But you won't utter a word to Natsuki, you hear?" I nod, wincing as she tossed a huge hard-cover book my way, and so I take an intake of the scent of the yellowing pages, my eyes widening and my pupils slitting.

"Augh!" I cry out, my fingers turning into claws that were dark blue to a crystal white, my eyes wild and ferocious. "Stop! Make it stop!" I whimper, tears flowing from my eyes, seeing the scarlet drip down from my chin and to the carpet. I claw at my eyes, only to feel my hands rake down my cheeks, scarlet rain of blood storming over the carpet.

"See who you really are, Mai Hoshimi. See who you belong to, for this will determine your future. This will determine whether you side with us or with Satan!" She said, her smile taunting and hauntingly beautiful as she held me down, cradling me as I sobbed, my eyes aching as I started to slowly feel myself weaken, and so I propped myself up on my elbows, looking up at the woman with trembling fingers.

"Give me the book."


	46. A Trip Back Home, and the Mai Clan

Hoshimi's POV:

After taking a good look through the pages and along the lines, I slowly closed the book, the pain in my toes and feet stronger than it was an hour ago. Sighing, I wearily look up to the woman. "So this is what you meant? That my family is a servant of your own screwed up clan-wait." With slightly trembling fingers, I quickly flip to the page in the middle, the intoxicating scent of earth and starflowers exhaling out of the mouth of the book.

"Yes. You will see why you trusted that girl so much; why you hate your brothers with that dying passion, even though you are the bastard child of Satan and a maiden." Akiko spat, her venomous tongue retracting to her Chesire cat smile. Pointing with a long, slender and tan finger, the seashell nail bed glistened as she held her finger down firmly on the collection of letters that identified her.

"N-no… no. This can't- this can't be." I sputter out, and start to shake as I look under her finger, seeing the familiar characters that I always saw on my friend's signature.

"It is true. You are mine, and you are my weapon. I can use you at my own will to slaughter a whole clan, as your father did." The woman mused, running a hand over her braid that tumbled to the floor and in a circle. "Maybe I can do that. To the Okumura clan, maybe. Or, even better, the Miwa or Moriyama clan. Will that satisfy your damned father?" She chuckled. "I'm afraid not. He's already done it to my own kin, my own children. Would that give you the same adrenaline, as it did when you slaughtered your own mother and those Exorcists when they were taking her away from you?" She whispered, her smile haunting my mind like a ghost in the horror movies.

"Stop it!" I cry, and shove myself away from the book. "That's not true! I didn't kill her!" I feel a sob coming to my lips, but I see a familiar figure standing at the door. Nat. "N-Nat, I-"

"I think she's feeling sick, she's been really warm and she almost retched while washing her face, I think she needs to go and get some medicine or something." Akiko's voice rings out from behind me, so I give her a bewildered look, my sniffles now slightly lessening.

"A-Alright, Akiko-san. Can you get my Papa's kimono? It's on the top shelf on the right corner." Nat says gently, taking me by my hand and wrapping an arm around my waist, hefting me up into her side, helping me to my feet.

"T-Thank you." I mumble, clutching the book tightly now, afraid that if I let it out of my hands again, then Nat will read it, and that wouldn't end well. "Nat, just bring me to our room, I can go there and just sleep for a bit." I cough lightly, my throat hoarse but my mind feeling as if it was on Noah's ark, the floods of memories and horrible thoughts drifting my conscious and sanity farther and farther away.

When we get there, she gently sets me down, covering me up with the blanket that was strewn across from me. I smile faintly, but hide the book under my pillow, hoping she wouldn't notice. If she did, she didn't tell me, at the least. "Thanks." I whisper against the pillow, then close my eyes, keeping one open though, waiting until she leaves the room and closes the door before turning a little. I wait to hear the faint pitter patter of her feet tiptoeing to one of the other rooms, and let the silence engulf me afterwards.

* * *

Rin's POV:

I let out a soft, weary sigh as I plopped down onto my bed, pawing at Kuro playfully as he batted my hair. I leaned my head back against the pillow, breathing out heavily. "Hey, boy. How was it? Sorry I couldn't play often, I have Nat to worry about and I have more school and work than ever. Now's our one on one time, bud." I chuckle, picking him up by his scruff and setting him on my chest.

Circling a few times, he snuggled into my chest as he looked up at me curiously, slightly alarmed by the cub that was curled into a tight, feral ball next to my pillow. "What's Haru-chan doing here? She's supposed to be with Nat-chan. Oh! Do you have some catnip wine? Maybe she and I can share a bowl so it calms her down!" I hear Kuro's voice chirp thoughtfully in my mind, making my lips quirk up into a grin.

"That's an awesome idea, but I don't have the ingredients, so I don't know how to make it." I say sheepishly, only to get pounced on by Kuro.

"Exactly! How about we go to the church and see if the recipe's there?" Kuro's voice rang through my mind, not noticing the tension of my figure as he mentioned the church that Nat, Yukio and I had lived in with our 'father', Shiro Fujimoto. "Or can I go see Hoshimi and ask her? She may know, she wanted to know how to make it too! She tried, and it was really yummy!" He then slowly pads off my frame, nuzzling my ear before hopping out of the window.

Chuckling, I slowly got up, taking my jacket from the hook at the door and wrapping it around my shoulders. "You're somethin', Kuro." I grin, and run out of the door, starting towards the Moriyama's estate.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I sat awkwardly with Bon, my cheeks flushed a lot as I kept my hands close together at my knees, and I quickly stood up, wobbling as I did so. "E-Etto, I'm going to get you something warm. You must be cold." I mewl, and blush lightly as I quickly tie on the apron, pulling my hair into a messy bun from its braid, grinning half-heartedly as I start to make an omelette with the eggs that were in the fridge, rice being cooked in the rice cooker as I was dicing the veggies. Basically, I could only cook an okay Fried Rice and Omu Rice, but I was pretty exemplary at curry. Even so, I was not much of a cooker; the cooker of my 'family' was Rin or Shiro.

Thinking of my 'father' made my eyes harden, and so I quickly pulled out a plate, clicking open the rice cooker and scooping out the rice and grinning, satisfied with my work as I blew some hair from my face. Hearing the crack of the egg spitting out the heat, I rush over to the stove, flipping the egg sloppily atop the rice, and clapping my hands together, drizzling it elegantly with a homemade sauce. I picked up the plate, slowly holding it as I shuffled back to the table. Being my clumsy self, I stumbled many times and almost dropped the plate, feeling the reassuring, brittle hands of Bon's circle around my wrists, holding my arms as I slowly look up at him with a smile, tilting my head to the side to tease him.

"N'aww, you've got a soft side." I coo, then squeal when he pats my head roughly with one hand, my fuzzy socks slipping under me. I rub my head sheepishly, quickly setting it down on the table, kneeling next to the boy and watching him say 'Itadakimasu', and scoop up some rice and egg with his chopsticks. Watching him intently, I mutter 'ji' under my breath, observing his reaction.

Noticing me, a small smirk went up to his lips as he dropped the chopsticks, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them. "Marry me and make this every day." He demanded, causing my cheeks to flush to a scarlet, my eyes widening then my lips forming inaudible words to try and stutter out an answer. "Eh? N-Nat!" He yelps when I fall back, my cheeks overflowing with blood and heat, and my mind goes off the tracks of sanity and into the chasm of dreams; one that may or may not include Bon.


	47. An Important Birthday, and Breaking In

Location: Konan- Date: October 31st- Hoshimi's POV:

I remembered getting dressed up when I was younger, like two or three, giggling as my mother poked my nose and tickled me when I took a bath, my long, silky threads of white pooling around me in the water my mother poured into the tub from her bucket. I could feel her soft, tender fingers gently massaging my scalp as I leaned against the wall of the tub, listening to her soft, Japanese singing as she swayed from side to side, getting me primped up for a celebration.

At that age, I knew it as 'the day I got to eat cake and get toys and see friends'; it hadn't dawned on me that it was the day that my oath to my sister clan would grow near. I was now four turning five, so I was a lot older and much more mature than I was then. I was a teeny weeny child back then; now I was a girl who could talk and walk and achieve my dreams!

"Mama, I wanna be a pretty princess when I grow up!" I giggled with innocent glee as I splashed the water, squirming as she tickled me in the stomach. "Can I do that?" I look up at the woman, who had dark, warm brown eyes and honey blonde hair that reached to a little below her shoulders.

"Of course you can, sweetie." She cooed, and pinched my pale cheek lightly as she started to rinse my hair with more water. I turned to look at her, my cerulean eyes meeting her brown ones.

"Mama? I heard some of the servants talking; they said something about a clan called the 'Hatomes', and that I was to become friends with their heir. They also said something about serving her as her protector and knight, but what does that mean? I've never heard of the name before, not even in one of the books you've read to me." I state, my voice confused but my eyes good-natured and curious.

Seeing her flinch and tense up, my blonde lashes fluttered down then back up, my head cocking to the side as I stared at her. "Mama?" I start, but then pout as she only shakes her head, picking me up after wrapping me up in a towel and pinching my toes, causing me to giggle.

"Don't listen to that nonsense, baby girl. That's just superstitious and-" She stopped for words, her lips twisting into one cheek as she rocked me slightly. "-something us Mais have done for a period of time. Now, it's not needed." She then adds wearily, her eyes looking away from me and now to the window, her gaze saddened and her expression full of disappointment.

"Okay, Mama. Let's go, I wanna see what Ojii-san and Obaa-san got me for my fifth birthday!" I start to kick and turn, causing her to laugh as she starts to set me down, bringing a blue flowered kimono my way after rummaging through a drawer.

"Alright, but if you keep moving you'll go out there butt naked." She teased, causing me to laugh as she started to push my arms into the sleeves, my small fingers going into the hole and squeezing through easily to the opening of it. I smile and try to pull my hair back, but failing and sticking my tongue out at my mother, seeing she already did it.

"Ma-ma!"

"Ho-shi!" She sang back with a childish whine, and so I giggled more, my fingers playing with her hair as she ties the obi-the big string that held my dress together- to my back, playfully pinching my legs as she ties a pretty bow and knot against my back. I squirm slightly, and then look at her with a pointy-toothed grin.

"Ma-ma, let's go!" I smile then trip over my kimono, landing into the arms of a white haired man, his silky strands of white were bouncing faintly as many different, smaller demons nuzzled his neck and head. I open up my arms, demanding to get picked up by the man, who gave a soft, pointed smile as he obeyed, scooping me up in his arms so I could stare at his cerulean orbs and play with his light colored tufts of hair.

"Hello, my dear child." He cooed lightly, his canine teeth sticking out in his features slightly, and so I poke it with a giggle. The man only chuckled his aflame tail whipping around like a lasso.

"Pa-pa!"

* * *

Rin's POV:

I wrapped the scarf around me tighter, sneezing into it as I roll my eyes, annoyed. Kuro looked inside the abandoned church, its door nailed closed. I let my claws sharpen, my foot kicking it down while I twiddled with the lock. I couldn't break down the wall; this was a memento of my 'father'. Breaking in was much more efficient. I quickly shake my head, and stifle an amused chuckle. Nat was right; my logic did not sound smart at all. I then look to the cat, who only stared at the broken window with a wistful look in his huge eyes. "What's up, Kuro?" I said lazily, crouching so I could undo the locks on the bottom of the door, absentmindedly shoving my hand under the beaten rug for the familiar, cool metal of the key that was hidden under the rug, at least,as I remembered it.

The cat only shrugged, and his jaws started to expand in a yawn as he stretched, his eyes bleary and coated just the slightest in a goopy substance; it was probably the kind of sleep boogers Yukio and I always get right after we get up after a restless night. "This brings back memories; maybe he stored some catnip in the kitchen!" He looked up at me curiously, and so I shrugged, stifling a laugh of doubt.

"I dunno, Kuro. I've flipped that kitchen upside down while cooking meals, and I've never seen some weird cat weed." I roll my eyes when Kuro glares at me, letting an annoyed meow escape his muzzle as he quickly turned his head away.

"Party pooper." He moaned indignantly, but then his tails swished happily as I managed to jam the door open, then squealing and sneezing as dust coated our fronts like frosting to a cake. I coughed and scrunched up my nose, brushing off the stubborn flecks of dust that clung onto my t-shirt and jeans that Nat and Koko once got me as a gift of normality, for when we're not in school. "Kami, this dust is so stupid!" Kuro grumbled, quickly licking his whiskers and paw, attempting to clean himself of the dirt and grime.

"W-What're you doing, Rin?" A small, meek voice pondered gently, and so I turn and my cheeks flush faintly, seeing the unmissable blonde 'baka strand' that stuck up on her small head. I tried to remain cool and collected, so I leaned my head in front of my hands, grinning at the small girl, who was in a blouse and a skirt that flowed till about just above her knees. Plastering a smirk on my face, I turned to the blonde and gave her a million-watt smile.

"Y-yo, Shiemi!"


	48. AUTHOR'S NOTE SETBACKS

Hello, everyone! There's some news I need you guys to know, since I've not been making very many new chapters, so I need to let you in on stuff. So, here we go:

First: I've been overflowed with writer's block and ideas for new stories, including:

-A spinoff on Daichi's life

-A prequel of this

-A spinoff on what happened the month of the 'calm' (A hole bunch of ideas for missions and such for team building and getting to know each other)

-The end of this story (Which I won't give spoilers to)

Second: I've had a hard time with school at the moment, and so I don't want to fail the classes so I gotta study! I'm a horrible studier though, so I can't really make much of a difference, hehe.

Third: People have been sending really mean anon hate on Tumblr, Mail, Fanfiction, etc. I've blocked them and such, but it's also happening outside of the internet at the moment.

Fourth: I've been struggling with family problems, and so I've not been able to think very much without coming up with angsty stuff, and I just _don't want my_ characters-not characters of the original series- to_ be determined by my own feelings._ Yes, they are a part of me, but when I do something stupid like kill one off or something-more like with destroying their family heh-I just feel bad and I've always had to erase the whole draft.

Fifth: I do not have my laptop at the moment, so I'm stuck with mobile and Fanfiction doesn't work on mobile. Ugh. I hope we get that someday though.

Sorry for not making much of a progress on this story, but I promise, I'll get back on track as soon as I can!


	49. Grief, a Recipe, and her Pride

Izumo's POV:

I sat on my bed, my legs curled up towards my chest as Shima observed me, looking at the pile of clothes that were barely assorted on the floor, much less in an actual suitcase. I frowned into my arms, letting out a soft sigh and furrowing my brow, thinking of what I could do. If Mike or Uke- I stopped at that thought, then let out a small, meek whimper that I didn't bother to hide.

With an eyebrow raised, Shima turned towards me, before his eyes softened as he saw my contorting face of grief and vulnerability. I nestled my forehead in my knees, I closed my eyes. "Shima... Why?" I manage to mumble into my legs.

"Eh?" He pondered, looking to me with confused eyes, though instead of the regular blankness that they used to hold, they were filled with emotions that made my chest ache and my stomach twist. "Why what?" He asks softer, plopping down next to me and pecking my temple softly.

"Why... Why did you betray us? Why-why did you-why did you kill them?!" I yell with frustrated and angered tears running down my face, my eyes wide and my figure trembling. "They were-only trying to protect me...and..."

"I know."

"Eh?" I look to the pinkette, who looked at his hands as one leg curled up to his chest, his arm wrapping around it. "What do you know? If you had known that those two were the only living creatures that I had trusted and loved for so long, then would you still have-"

"I know, Izumo." He said with a louder tone, his eyes darkening with regret and self-loath. "I know. I knew that they were people that you loved and cared about... I... I'm so sorry." He mumbles. "I don't know what I can do. If I could-could just go back... Or try to bring them back... I would. But, you see, I'm not as powerful as Nat, or Bon, or Rin or Okumura-sensei. I don't know what I can do, anymore, either." He said quietly, then looks down to his lap.

My eyes soften, and so I let out a weary sigh, but scoot closer and gently rest my chin on his shoulder from behind, wrapping my arms around him, though they only reached his hands.

"Oh?" I could hear Shima's voice lighten from the throaty, saddened one, and so my cheeks flush as I curse under my breath.

"I'm only comforting you, you butt." I mumbled, and turned to the side embarrassed. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" I ask timidly, waiting for an answer.

"How about we talk more over dinner?"

"No."

"How cold."

* * *

Shiemi's POV:

"So you're telling me that-that you're trying to break into your old home that you don't have a key for?" I ask with disbelief in my voice, my eyes slightly narrowed as Rin nodded, his hands open and his shoulders shrugging, a sheepish smile on his face. "How does Na-chan even deal with you?" I smile a little amused, but try to keep a serious face on as I start to scold him.

"B-but Shiemi-"

"No buts. Now let go of the door or so help me Rin." I put my hands on my hips, smiling a little more.

"But Shi-chan~" The bluenette whines, and so I huff, Kuro jumping up onto my shoulder to play with Nee. "I'm just tryin' ta get something for Kuro!" He protests, and motions to the cat whose tails were swishing and whipping around, brushing my nose and making me giggle.

"I still blame you." I added hastily as he smiles brightly, and so the look falls back into a saddened, disappointed look. "If you just want the recipe for the catnip wine, I have it in my cookbook. Shiro-san gave it to my mother, and so she gave it to me since I was a Tamer." I smiled a little more, but then looked at the boy and cat with shock as I saw the look they were giving me.

"N-no!" I stifle a laugh, before looking to the side just as quickly, only to be hugged by the boy from behind, my cheeks immediately burning. Even though it had been a few months now since we had shown our feelings to each other, I still wasn't used to the feeling of him being mine, as I was his and that he was mine, or him kissing me or giving affection. However, that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy it.

"Please?" Rin drawled, cuddling him self into my body, and nestling his nose in my neck, inhaling slowly and painfully long. "For your kitty?" He negotiated, even though he knew that my knees were weak and my eyes squeezed shut to not let him interfere with my thoughts.

"No." I say firmly, and huff lightly, my cheeks puffed up in a valid argument, knowing that he couldn't continue his own if he saw this. Even so, my eyes softened as I saw Kuro sniffle, and so I picked him up, cuddling him. "Gomene, Kuro. I'll do it."

"Hah?! You do it for the cat?!"

"This _is_ for him, isn't it?" I find myself smiling anyways, Kuro on my shoulder as I started back towards True Cross, Rin, _my_ Rin, behind me.

* * *

Nat's POV:

I lay next to Bon on the roof, and sigh lightly as my hand was in his, my cheeks a soft flushed. Hoshimi fell asleep the last time that I checked on her, and Akiko-San told me that she would check on the blonde. "Oh!" I cried, and pointed to the sky. "Look, look at it." I smile and point to the constellation, then look to Bon, smiling a little more since he had a confused look on his face.

"Which constellation thing is that?" He asks warily, his finger moving in a circle to motion all of it.

"Oh, well... Since it has the three stars right..." I trail off, then take our intertwined hands and point to the three stars that formed a crooked line, then smiled a bit more. "-there." I then feel warmth envelope my heart as I look down at the boy, but shake it off. I can't, he's not immortal. Neither were my family or familiars, and that's why Satan had so easily-

"Since it's almost June now, are you excited for Summer vacation?" Bon asks, and then smiles sheepishly, seeing my startled gaze. "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't know you were-"

"-thinking..." I mumble, then blush deeply as I realize that I finished his sentence for him. "A-sorry for interrupting!" I yelp, and blush deeper, stuttering for words as steam emanated from the top of my head with rising blood.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." He tries to assure me, so I nod and rub the back of my head with a flustered and embarrassed smile. "So are you going anywhere for Summer vacation?" He asks, but has a crestfallen expression as I nod. When I notice this, he immediately regathered himself and looks to the side with a huff. "It's not like I had plans..." He mumbled, running a hand through his bleached hair.

"I-um well... I was planning on just staying here and taking care of Rin and Yukio, and Hoshimi said she already had plans when I asked. What're you doing?" I murmur, my voice lowering with shyness and so I look to my toes that dangled off the edge of the roof, as we were near the ground so we could jump down easily if we needed to.

"Oh, well... I wanted to try and go home to see if I could maybe talk with my parents, and..." He let the sentence die in his throat, but he let out a soft sound of surprise as I wrapped my arms around him, my head buried in his neck. "N-Nat-"

"I'm really proud of you, Ryūji." I whisper to him, and smile more as he just shifts, pulling me closer and crushing me against his chest, resting his chin on my head.

"I'm proud of you too, Nat."


	50. Sickness, Wine, Assurance, and Hazing

Konekomaru's POV:

I picked up the phone, my fingers expertly pressing on the numbers 1470-96-30-25, then holding up the phone to my cheek. After one ring, the call was answered, followed by a groggy voice. "Himi-chan? Himi-chan, you there?" I ask softly, my voice high and frantic as I sat in Shima and I's room, my feet rested on the table and a book was set in my lap.

"Oho! I got it!" The voice's tone became cheerful and smooth, though was immediately followed by hacks. "Ack, sorry about that, I just had-"

"I'm coming over there immediately!" I say determined, starting to pack a bag full of medicine and a towel, along with a day's change of clothes.

"Oi. You don't need to-" The blonde girl protested, but I already was shuffling out of the door, starting towards the train station as I ignored the annoyed rambling that blared from my phone.

"Koneko-chan you better have gotten on this phone or I swear to Kami that I will strangle you with my tail!" Hoshimi roared, her voice fading as I hopped into the train, collapsing on the rubbery seat as I noticed the colorful stops of our route, starting to try and see which stop I would get off on before time.

"Gomen! But it's already almost Summer break, and so I need to make sure you pass the class with us!" I say sheepishly, then my brow furrows. "Are Bon and Nat-chan over there? I would think that Bon is making her study hard for the finals..." I then say with a slightly shaky voice, my smile a leer as I remembered the last time Bon had helped us study.

"I don't know, they're on the roof, so- oh shit!" There was a loud thud, and shuffling was heard on the other line. A burst of laughter was heard, but it immediately ceased at a familiar 'Rainbow-spitting Baka' along with a small sniffle.

"Himi-chan?" I ask with a small, meek squeak as I heard the ruckus. After another yelp and pause, with shuffling and muffled coos and stammers from the distance.

"Oi! Do you mean the rainbow spitting Baka, Konekomaru?" Bon's voice came to the speaker, making me wince.

"N-never mind I'll call later!" I ramble about some random excuse of the train having to take some of its tracks off since something hit it and that we had to evacuate for now, and so I let out a soft breath as I slumped into the seat, wiping sweat from my brow. That girl would be the death of me.

* * *

Rin's POV:

After getting the wine for the two four-legged creatures, Shiemi glared at me as best as she could while petting the cats that were purring and waddling around her, so it wasn't very much of an effort. "Rin, you really need to get yourself out of trouble!" She scolded, a frown on her lips that contorted her pale, usually flushed, cheeks. I huff and pucker up my lips in protest, making her roll her eyes with a little smile.

"But Shiemi-chan, it's kinda hard not to when you're watched over by someone all the time~" I whine, and start to get up, looking at the clock. "Damn, they said they would come home soon." I point out, making her shrug and sigh a little, guilt clouding up her face.

"True...maybe something happened." She started uncertainly, and her eyes widened slightly. "What if it was my fault? N-Na-chan and Hoshi-chan would-they would hate me…" Her voice grew soft, making me look to her and then purse my lips, then sit down next to her with an apron on my front. "Eh?" She looked up to me, only to squeal with laughter as I started to pinch her sides and tickle her. "R-Rin, stop!" She whined, her eyes closed and her face flushing from lack of breath.

"Not until you become positive again!" I demand, and grin as she then laughs a little more, leaning back and smiling a little up at me. "You ready now?" I chuckle, and gently pinch her cheek as she fiddled with the end of her shorts. I noticed how throughout the school year, since the girl had first come here, she eventually grew out of her kimonos and shy attitude.

"Mm. Gomene, for making it seem sad and-mmf!" She couldn't finish, because I placed my lips on hers with a light peck, leaning back and smiling down at her.

"Don't apologize for that. I'm a good listener, and I can beat some asses!"

"_Rin!_"

* * *

Hoshimi's POV:

After letting Nat dry my hair off, I pushed it back before laying across Konekomaru's lap, bored and refreshed after a nice, warm bath. "Neko-chan~ Let's go play at the playground!" I offer, smiling widely then coughing a little. I then whine as Bon takes my collar like a mother kitten to its young, holding me up and dropping me down onto the couch.

"Not for you, rainbow spitter. You're staying right here to get better. Or when we go back. Which is-"

"In a few hours. It's only about 5:00, and the next train's at 8:30. Konekomaru, when'd you try to come? It takes a while to get here…" Nat finished, striding in after Bon while Akiko was at her side. My eyes narrowed at the caramel-skinned woman, but she only smirked haughtily back, as if saying, 'Know your place'. And I probably should. The woman was sly and intelligent, getting what she desired when she wanted it, like a coyote. However, she seemed wise and looking burdened at times, like a turtle. Nat said that her ancestors and relatives had animals that resembled their personalities, so what animal was hers?

"Himi-chan, how about you help me cook the meal for tonight?" Konekomaru asks, his glasses the familiar round and big as I stared at him. It made me a little happy, that something here looked familiar, even if it could break any time. I nod, noticing I was spacing out a lot more than I usually did. I slap my cheeks with a soft thwack, Nat turning to me with a confused gaze and Konekomaru with wide eyes.

"Gomene! I was daydreaming a lot, must be tired-ack!" I cough out the last part, and then turn my head embarrassed as I sneezed, it loud and like a horse's snort. Bon stifled a snicker, until Nat gently smacked his arm, giving a scolding glare at the taller boy. He huffed, but obeyed and tried to stop himself as another sneeze came.

"Sweetie, you're probably sick. Go on and go to bed, Konekomaru, you go on and help her, to make sure she doesn't try to climb out the window." Nat sooths me as she hands me a tissue, holding my chin with a hand as she wiped at my nose.

"Oi! I can do it myself, thank you." I protest, and wrinkle up my face as I try to pull away from her. She sighs but nods, and lets go before tossing away the tissue in the waste bin near us. Bon propped his arm up on Nat's head, making her blush and try to duck her head, though it was no use to the other boy. "And I won't climb out the window, I'm not a delinquent, like Bonnie here." I pat Bon's chest twice, making him wince and cast a death stare to me.

"Don't get into that argument right now, Rainbow spitter!" He retorts, his eyebrows furrowed as Nat tugged on his hand, giving another look to him. With a little eye smexing between the two, he let out a soft sigh before glaring at me.

"Just go to bed before I drag you there…" He sputtered out as Nat still had her eyes boring up at him, and it was obvious that he knew of the consequences that came if he didn't follow the silent command. I figure that this is how they are in bed, her the definite dom and him the servant. I chuckle at that thought, and then turn on my heel.

"Okies! Just don't be doin' anything without protection, ya hear? Otherwise, Rin-onii and I'll have your ass!" I shout so the rest of the household to hear, making Konekomaru spit out his juice that he was gulping down, and Nat's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Nee-san, you get right back here!" I start to run as the girl starts towards me with a deep blush and a stumbling reaction of her feet, so I giggle as she chases me. I'll miss this so, so much.

I guess you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone.


	51. A Phone Call with the Senpais

Shura's POV:

"Shu-onee, that isn't good, and you know it!" Nat's voice scolded me over the phone, and so I belched as I let out a breathy chuckle.

"Ah~ You would do the same thing if you were in my position, Nattie-chan." I muse, and let a soft drawl escape my lips as I lean back against my chair, my feet propped up against the top of the table I was sitting in front of.

"Still! I-I do know that Opaa-san wouldn't want you doing that…" Nat's voice grew a little more quiet, until I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"So, how's the house goin'? I heard it burned down from Kon-chan." I smirk a little as her voice goes a little quiet, hearing her mouth go agap then back to join with her lips. "Hah? So it's true?" I chuckle, and then my eyes softened a little at her comments. "Yeah, yeah. I gotcha. We'll get the car there by 12:00, right?" Biting my lip to stifle the giggles that came up my throat, I listened to Nat's complaints about me not being a good enough listener as I hummed to a tune blaring from the radio. "Oi, Miya-chan~ Don't put on the music so loud, goddamn!" I pout, and then chuckle as Nat perks up at the sound of her friend.

"M-Miya-nee is there?" She asks frantically, and so I nod.

"Yup, and still running like Usain Bolt on steroids! Here, I'll get her, but you promise me you'll be good! She just came back from a mission and she's really grumpy." I warn, and take the now empty can before tossing it in the trash bin, trotting to the blue haired girl as I knocked on the door with a loud bang.

"Yo, kiddo. Getcha ass up, I need to give you the phone." I state with a grin, flexing my shoulder as I look to the woman, her polishing the gun in her hand.

"Who is it?" The woman asks, her aqua colored eyes tracing up to look at me, a blonde brow raised as she took the phone, giving a grouchy 'hello', before her eyes widened slightly and a small smile came to her lips. "Well, die my hair blonde and call me dumb! It's you, kiddo." She chuckles at the laugh, and so I smile more, knowing that the two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Hell, no one really sees that woman anymore.

Kicking the door closed, I started back towards the couch, taking another beer from the table.

* * *

Miyako's POV:

I held the phone to my ear, substituting my hand for my shoulder as I rubbed the oily cloth over the dark colored gun, my smile a little one as I listened to the younger girl ramble on and on about how worried she was, and that she sent letters but never could send them and so she tried to make me feel better, though the hole in my chest didn't subside.

"Miya-nee, I met someone!" Nat's next statement made my grip on the towel tighten, as I stand up and look at the phone incredulously.

"Hah?! No, that can't be! I thought I warded them off!" I laugh a little, starting to pace as I run a hand through the part of my hair that was down. Observing the roots, I decide that I probably will need another treatment of the weird dye Mephisto gives me.

"N-no, Miya-nee that was years ago! Anyways, he's really nice and he's protective and polite and trustworthy and-and he's also an Exorcist! A really good one at that, an Aria and Dragoon, just like you Miya-nee!" I could hear the smile from hundreds of miles away, and so I grin, leaning back against the wall and setting the gun down, it disappearing back into the other world that was like a storage closet for my weapons.

"Really? Aw, does he have blue hair too?" I tease, and so she stutters for an insult before huffing. "I'm just kidding with ya, Nat. But be safe for me, okay? Especially if we have the mission coming up. It's almost graduation, you know." I say with a more serious tone, the quiet sigh echoing through the speaker as she started to speak again.

"I know, Miya-nee. But...But why do we have to fight all the time? I mean-I mean it's just useless if it's never going to leave, isn't it? Why can't we just try to get along with them? We get along with Amai-nii, and Mephi-nii, and we're better with Azazel now that we've met him…" She murmured, and so I just shake my head, strands of hair shuffling against the phone.

"Don't argue with me on this, Nat. We've had enough trouble with Egyn as it is, and Lucifer has just gone back into his slumber. Two demon kings we are not on good terms with, and the kid of Satan knocked out Astaroth, so he's still pretty pissed about it." I state bluntly, my left hand hugging my right forearm, my frown and tone evident to my foul mood.

"But Beezlebub and Iblis haven't shown any-"

"Wrong. Iblis was the one who burned down your house, as to his confession from our interrogation, and Beezlebub has been sending out his insects to wipe out entire villages that have the blood or have descendants that have the blood of Satan. Beezlebub killed your servant's family during the war with Lucifer with a slow, uneased and painful death. Don't think that just because we are allies with some of the demons, it doesn't mean that we are going to be allies with all of them. They hurt our families and our comrades.

"This is war, Natsuki. Don't forget it." I pressed the 'End' button on the screen, tossing the phone back and falling onto my bed.


	52. Painful Knowledge

Hoshimi's POV:

Seeing Nat come off the phone with a surprised and distraught expression, I looked over to the girl blinking a few times. "Huh? Onee-chan, what's wrong?" I ask concerned, my light eyebrows furrowing together.

"Hoshimi… Sit on your bed really quick." The brunette girl commanded, slipping the phone into a little pocket of her loose kimono, and so I nodded, obeying with a soft and quivering frown. The girl never used my full name. I looked to my toes that were still blackening towards my ankle, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"What's up, Onee-chan?" I ask after a pregnant moment of silence, the girl letting a soft breath escape her lips as she reluctantly mumbled something under her breath. "Eh? Onee-chan, I can't hear you at all…" I say sheepishly, and look to her as she gnaws on her bottom lip.

"It's your family… I have news for you." Nat's face contorted into an upside down smile, and I just nodded.

"Uhuh. What about them?" I wait for her to continue, my hands rocking my frame back and forth as I sat cross legged. "I haven't seen them for a while, what's happening lately with them? I know that Obaa-chan was getting white hairs all over, and she said that Moma-chan ran away and so she has ta get some 'Lost' posters for him, the silly Corgi." I smile widely, and rubs the back of my neck with one hand, Nat taking mine with the other. I perk up as she does this, and then chuckle.

"Have you heard from them in a while?" She asks abruptly after a moment of hesitation, her frown deepening as I shook my head, utterly confused.

"Well, since I left they couldn't really get to me, so I kinda lost contact. But I managed to search up the Mai house again, it's somewhere nearby here!" I add breezily, noticing her slight scowl. It was rare to see the girl with such angry expressions, so it was only natural to wonder what was going on in that interesting head of hers. "How about we-"

"No." Nat immediately projected a sheepish grin as she noticed her word of rejection, patting my head and my hand with a little wrinkle in the corner of her eyes as she smiled again. "Gomen, Nee-san, but we just don't have the time." She says, and then winces as I stifle another sneeze. Passing me the tissue box that was dropped on the ground, she let out a weary breath as she took both of my hands, looking me straight in the eye.

"Now listen to me, Hoshimi. This is important, and I will not be saying this again. Do you understand?" She stated with a stoic expression, as if the smile that would quirk up on her lips died from sudden heart failure.

"Huh? Oh… Okay." I say with a nod, as she cups my hands together, her fingers enveloping mine as she tried to maintain a serious expression. "Yeah, sure. What's the prob?" I ask with a faint smile, trying to keep the mood up. Nat nods slowly, and then lets her eyes flicker with the light reflecting and absorbing the color in her irises; it seemed as if the golden of her eyes were autumn and the green was summer.

"Hoshimi… you know how there is a circle of life…"

* * *

Shura's POV:

"Ya know, you didn't have to be that mean about it, Miya-chan." I scold, before wiping my mouth of the beer that frothed at my cheek and plopping down, the cup in my hand sloshing around.

"'Ya know, you don't have to be a drunk, Shura-chan'," The bluenette mocks with a soft glare, huffing and letting herself turn to the other side.

"But ya did it anyways." I respond scaldingly, sitting down next to her and ruffling her hair roughly.

"Oi, you asshat. Stop abusing my hair." She hissed, and batted at my hands, her cheeks flushing a red with embarrassment and partial fury. "I don't like it, and you know that." She mumbled, re arranging the expertly dyed blue tufts that framed her face in little, childish curls. That certainly didn't help the digestion of the fact that she was a smoker or a drunk, or that she was 5 years over the normal age of drinking in our country, which was 21. "Damn, Flames for Brains." She retorted, and then looked to her guns that were splayed all around the room, like they were asleep. Of course, the souls inside them were.

Gently letting my finger trail along the handle of the pistol, I chuckle as the girl makes a surprised sound of protest, immediately scrambling to gather it in her hands. "Don't want me touching that either, huh?" I tease, but then follow her gaze to the window, where many people were helping renovate, even Amaimon. Of course, this was only by the persuasion of the other Earth element holding human, who managed to pull him from his brother's side to the welcoming arms of the service. Having him on our side had made the renovating a lot easier, yeah, but what if someone attacks again? With only Mephisto and Amaimon on our sides as Demon Kings, we would stand no chance against their father and head of command.

"We'll be fine with that mission, if that's what you're thinking." The bluenette states calmly, though feeling the voice waver, I couldn't help but think different. "Even if it's up against that strong of a force, and even if neither of our senseis could defeat him… We will. We will for sure."

"Who said I _wasn't_ thinking that, baka?" I complain, though feel a grin come to my lips as I licked them. She was right; she was always right. I'll only have to believe her.


	53. Pulling the Trigger, and Covered Fears

Koko's POV:

Observing the target in front of me, I held the gun unsteadily, it trembling in my hands as I tried to glare at the dummy's head. Feeling the assuring hand of Yukio's on my own, he let his fingers guide mine to the right places, unloading the empty basket of bullets, reloading it by pulling back the part on the top. I think. "This is too confusing." I grumble under my breath, puffing up my cheeks as I heard Yukio chuckle into my hair. I hated that I was tall; almost taller than Yukio himself. Of course, he still liked the fact that I acted younger and more inexperienced than him, so he had someone to protect easily, or even someone who could stay at his side.

"That's it; easy." He instructed with a gentle voice, knowing that the frustration that I held so amateurly would explode like a shaken up soda bottle if he was too rough with trying to help.

"Yeah, I gotcha, I gotcha." I mumble again, before then holding it above my face, pulling the trigger and yelping as the back of the gun forced its way to the bridge of my nose. "Ow!" I cry, and hold my nose as blood started to drip down, my lips staining crimson as I lick off the blood. "Yuki-"

"You're so clumsy; you'll die on the field if you do that somewhere else, you know." He scolded, holding my face with one hand to tilt it up. I just roll my eyes and look to the side, grumbling as he wiped the blood away before it could crust up.

"Bleh." I stick out my tongue to him childishly, and then look at the dummy again, about to hold up the gun before hearing someone slowly clap. Perking up, I turn to glare at a woman with seemingly turquoise hair, who held her head high as she was perched atop the railing.

"Ah, I see my little pupil is teaching yet another his ways. Make sure not to spill too many secrets, alright?" The woman crowed, her legs swinging so her baggy pants flapped around like flabby skin on an old hag. Maybe she was an old hag. Crazy and delusional, I'll say.

"Miyako-san, you don't need to be rude." Yukio sighed exasperatedly, before plucking the pistol from my hands, ignoring the yelp that exploded from my lips. He turned slightly to look at me, a little gnawing at his bottom lip could be seen. "Koyalee, this was my old...teacher, Miyako. Miyako, this is my-"

"I am Koyalee. Koyalee Koko." I state for myself, casting the taller boy a slight glare as I didn't like being called 'his' or 'hers' or of any possession. The woman chuckled, seeing the little flare that had sparked between the two of us, and dropped down, her stocky figure like a giant over ours. Standing at least two inches taller than Yukio and about four inches more than myself, she loomed over me.

"Miyako Aki." The woman held out her hand, and so I took it, with a slight grin on my lips, Yukio looking to both of us with a confused gaze.

"Have you two met-"

"I like yer taste, little pupil." Miyako cheered, and patted his head roughly, much to his protest.

"T-taste? Miya-sensei, she's not-" He sighed, letting the older woman noogie him to his death. Hopefully, he didn't see his grandma. Laughing to myself, I take the gun back before looking to the dummy.

"Now then…"

* * *

Lucifer's POV:

I watched the man pace as his tail lashed about, his white strands of hair like the color of ivory, his grimace contorting his face that was fair and clear. Most would mistake him for an angel, like that new Paladin, Arthur Angel. Even so, the fact was that a much uglier, more hideous beast waited behind that mask of innocence and good appearance. Me being his son, I should know.

"Satan-sama, where is the next location?" I ask breezily, my eyes bored as they gazed to the man, who seemed obviously nervous. Knowing him well enough, it was probably a facade, just like all of his existence was. That girl was able to prove that. What was her name again? "It seems that my regeneration will take a few centuries or so, but I don't think that the ties will keep me there if you manage to kill her. Of course, for you that'll be easy."

"Right," the man muttered, his canines poking out slightly from his pink lips. "Of course. I shall slaughter her, finish the job." He concluded evasively, his frown more like an upside down smirk, his lips pulling back to something like a protective snarl. What would he protect from me, his eldest and the most powerful of his generals?

"Satan-sama, why-why couldn't you do that in the first place? Why did you just give her that seal? It binds her to you, yes, but to what limit? Her patron said herself that she would-"

"Silence!" He growled lowly, his eyes flashing a flame of hatred in the pair of blue eyes. "I have my reasons, ones that you will not know of!" The man stormed the other way, as if cowering from the accusation that I was thrusting upon him.

"Then what are they? That she reminds you of that person? That yang to your yin? The person who dragged you down to Hell and then abandoned you? That goddess, the damned Gai-"

"If you mutter her forsaken name in this realm, I will make sure you don't come back from your slumber." He threatened with a low tone, his form rigid and trembling slightly from fury, or whatever negative emotion always rolled from him. After a moment of silence, I just nod, bowing my head and turning on my heel.

"Very well. A fair warning to you, Father. Your seal will not last for much longer. It would be best to kill her soon. Best by the end of the school year of theirs." Ignoring the small grunt of acknowledgment, I start towards the door of his chamber.


End file.
